


Love is Strange; Rewritten

by TheLosingMemory



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Love is Strange, Love is Strange; Rewritten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-11-15 21:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 19
Words: 41,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18081458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLosingMemory/pseuds/TheLosingMemory
Summary: After Chloe's death, Max has become damaged. Over the three years since Chloe's passing, she has gotten closer to Joyce and Warren. But... what happens when Warren gets too close? What happens when Max is forced to travel back in time? What happens when familiar faces resurface? (Based on the FIRST ever Grahamfield fanfic; "Love is Strange") *READ ORIGINAL ON FANFICTION.NET*





	1. Two Whales

 

 

**Chapter One**

**Two Whales**

* * *

 

Bacon and coffee. That's all my mind could process this chilly autumn morning. Well, that's all I wanted to process. I had no idea why I was sitting at this booth. Our booth. I couldn't help but think about... Chloe. I try to push her out out my head but she keeps breaking into it, demanding to be heard. It's been three years since Chloe died. I wish I could've saved her and Arcadia Bay but I couldn't. The past was in the past. I couldn't change it yet I felt responsible.

So, here I was, sitting in our world famous booth, waiting for the blue-haired rebel to appear. She hasn't walked through those doors in three years, I doubt she will soon. I rubbed my face, pushing my cheeks upwards, almost trying to squish the tears that prepared to spill. Every time that Chloe's death date comes around, I visit Joyce. She's been through so much. William, who was Joyce's late husband and Chloe's father, died in a car crash. William was going to pick Joyce up from the store when a tractor trailer truck hit the side of the car. According to the papers from years ago, he died on impact.

With Joyce losing her husband and daughter, it was the least I could do. When William died, my parents hauled me off to Seattle. I wasn't able to comfort my grieving friend and her mother. Now that I'm back in Arcadia Bay, I can pay my respects.

I visit Joyce at least once a month. Either at work or when she's at home. It's just to catch up, remember her daughter, and gossip. She's basically a second mother to me. I still can't believe I'm at Blackwell Academy. It's my final year here and I have no clue what I'm going to do. Of course, my biggest passion is photography. Though I haven't done much since Mark Jefferson. Ever since Chloe and I found Rachel, Jefferson killing Chloe (before I went back in time and saved her), and forcing me to be his 'subject', I couldn't find much inspiration. Who could blame me? Every time I see a modern camera, it gives me flashbacks of what happened in that bunker. Of course, technically, none of this happened. I was forced to go back into time to where Nathan and Chloe got in an argument in the bathroom. Nathan accidentally shot Chloe, killing her, and him ending up in jail with Jefferson.

I have no proof that anything happened. What's now is forever reality. I vowed to never mess with time again.

I still looked the same as I did three years prior. My short brown hair, freckles, and simple style had been the same since I was in seventh grade. I used to love bright and colorful outfits. When I moved to Seattle, I must've gotten tired of my childish style. I traded my sparkly Hot Dawg Man shirts for a simple grey jacket. The only thing that might be different is that I wear a necklace now. It was Chloe's. When she died, she was wearing a necklace with three bullets hung on them. Joyce's mom gave me a box full of pictures and memorabilia which included the necklace.

I only told Joyce about my time travel abilities. Surprisingly, she believed me. I told her everything and just like Warren in the diner, before everything went to actual shit, she trusted every word and didn't judge me. She refuses to tell David, afraid he thinks I'm mentally unstable and arrest me. I don't blame her. I wouldn't tell him anything either. Even if he did save my life, he could probably suspect me for a lot. I was the one who texted him about Rachel's body and in the bathroom when Chloe died. I'm sure he's grateful yet suspicious.

Speaking of Joyce, she began to walk over to me with my plate of food and a cup of coffee. I loved her waffles and freshly baked bacon. Just seeing them made a tiny pool of saliva escape from my mouth. I wiped my mouth off with a smile, she smiled back before setting the food in front of me. She sighs loudly and scoots into the booth, forcing a fake smile, knowing exactly what day it is.

"Long day?" I asked while ripping open the little plastic seal of a container of syrup. I poured it over my waffles, coating the five blueberries the cook gave me, before slapping on some butter.

Joyce laughed, "Tell me about it."

"Well, I'm sure the truckers are tipping nice. With the holidays coming up, I'm sure they're getting happy about their bonus'." I motioned to the truckers with my fork, pointing to one of them smiling up at the television, a lottery ticket in hand, waiting for the numbers to roll in. Christmas is hard for Joyce. For the past few years, I go over to her house and spend it with her and David. Since Blackwell gives us two weeks off, I use one week to spend time with my actual family. The second is with Joyce. When Christmas rolls around, you see all the truckers looking nice, buying almost the whole menu for their family, before pigging out like they've never ate.

"You'd think," The older woman laughed, "but... money's getting tight again. David is thinking about taking up a second job. We're so in debt with bills, even from Chloe's fun-"

She stopped herself, closing her eyes and shaking her head, refusing to complete the sentence. It was true. They paid a lot for her service. Before Chloe passed, Joyce was selling a lot of what she had. This included the wedding ring that William gave her. Now that Chloe was gone, more expenses just piled up. Joyce is working over time while David remains a security guard at Blackwell. Whenever Principal Wells reports something, he's always on it. He's working harder too, trying to impress the school, in hopes of a bonus or becoming an actual police officer.

"I know Joyce," I reached out a grabbed her hand, "we all know that you're trying. I'm sure that Chloe appreciates all that you did for her." Joyce also goes to therapy with David every weekend. She had been for about a year. I've never been to therapy or counseling, but I'm sure it's expensive. I know some doctors give little advice and just expect the paycheck. Hopefully Joyce's insurance covers it but it would be another reason why she's in debt.

"Like all the free bacon I gave her?" Joyce chuckles to herself, trying to make light of the situation. "Speaking of free food, your meal is on the house."

"No," I pull my hand back and began to dig around for my money, "My last few have been free or half off. You need the money, Joyce."

"One person isn't going to make a difference."

"Everyone makes a difference." I smirked before sliding her a twenty dollar bill. She slid it back.

"Max, seriously. After you being there for Chloe for years and now me, it's the least I can do." She smiles, a hint of sadness within, but she tries to make it genuine. She's not the best actress. She lowers her voice to almost a whisper, "Especially since you went back in time and helped her several times. I'm sure it was hard."

I nod and take a bite of my waffle. "Yeah, but I'd do it all again in a heart beat."

"I'm sure you would." Joyce pats the table and sighs to herself, "Well, I'm afraid our monthly therapy session is over. I'm sure the trucker wants another refill of coffee or some shit. Let me know if I can do anything else." I nodded once more, smiling up at her, as the woman walked away. She grabbed a coffee pot and made her rounds to all the customers, asking them nicely if they'd like another drink. Joyce didn't care about her appearance anymore. In the past, she took time to do her hair and light makeup. She always wore heels and made sure that her apron was clean. Over the past three years, I've noticed that she's starting to look more and more distressed. Who could blame her? I would be the same way with all the loss she's witnessed.

After I finished my waffle, I pulled my phone out and saw a text waiting for my curious eyes.

**_ONE NEW TEXT FROM; WARREN_ **

**Maxter! Meet me near the Blackwell fountain for the most ultimate surprise!**

_**9:37am** _

Maxter? That's different. I smiled at the text and replied with a thumbs up emoji. I slipped my phone back into my pocket and dug out my wallet. Most girls have billfolds, purses, or coin purses. My simple self carries around a men's wallet or just stuff cash into my pocket. I'm a simple person. All I want is my Polaroid camera and acoustic music rumbling through my ears.

Even though Joyce said not too, I left a 'tip'. I left about thirty dollars which gives her an extra ten dollars to pocket. I know it's not much, but it's better than what others been giving her. The bus ride to Blackwell was peaceful, as always. The bus always has depressed middle-aged people wondering when they'll be able to retire. That or kids my age sleep-deprived from the night before. My headphones blared the light melody of a guitar as a man vocalized with the rhythm. It made the five minute drive go faster than normal. The bus pulled up to the main steps leading up to the campus. In the middle was a round fountain that held a statue of the founder of Blackwell Academy. I honestly don't know his name. I don't know why they praise him so much. Warren sat in front of the fountain, sitting on the few feet of brick that trapped the water in, looking down at his phone.

"Maxter?" I asked while walking up to him, "What are we? Five?"

Warren smiled up at me, the slight gap in his teeth exposed, as he squinted. The sun was in his eyes. I shifted over a few inches, trying to block it. "I was hoping more of seven, but five works too."

I playfully pushed his arm, smirking at his comment. "So, what was it that you were going to show me?"

Warren smiles and exits the video he was watching a few moments before. He opens his photo gallery and flips through several photos for a few moments. He turns it around and shoves it into my face, showing a large poster that was stapled to a wooden pole in town. On the poster was a large gorilla with text written all over it. Before I could process what anything read, Warren pocketed his phone.

"Do you know what this means?"

"That the Seattle zoo adding more gorilla's?"

"No, but that would be dope." He smiles and shoves his hands in his distressed jeans. "The drive in is hosting another Planet of the Apes marathon. We can go ape, again!" It seems like this movie theater likes to release marathons around Chloe's death date.

"I'll think about it. I have a project for Mrs. Yui that is worth a large portion of my grade. I'll let you know by the end of this week!" Mrs. Yui was the teacher that took over for Mr. Jefferson. From what I'm aware, she's not psychotic like Jefferson is. She reminds me of Kate Marsh. Kind, funny, and a motherly figure. She was originally from California but offered a position at Blackwell. I would've stayed in California. Arcadia Bay is such a tiny town. She can't get any publicity by staying in this dump. Her photography skills are great! I could see a lot of them ending up in galleries. Jefferson's photos were dark, showing a lot of shadows, and almost sexual. He posed a lot of young women with nothing much on. I'm sure most of them were drugged. Mrs. Yui's photographs are bright and happy, sometimes inspiring.

"Of course." He smiles but noticed I didn't return it back. He nods and pats the bricks beside him, telling me to sit down next to him. "Is today the day?"

"Yeah."

He remains silent for a moment before clearing the silence, "What was she like? I saw her around other students but I never talked to her."

I gave him a breathless laugh, looking up at the clouds, trying to hold back my tears. "Amazing, for starters. She didn't care about what others thought of her. She never had, which I wish she passed to me. Chloe never held back and backed up what she believed in. She was bold, smart, and the best person I'd met."

"I'm really sorry, Max." Warren wrapped his arm around my shoulder, hugging me close. His fingers rubbed against my arm, going up and down in a soothing motion, trying his best to comfort me. "I'm sure she's looking down and smiling at you."

I didn't respond to that comment. I didn't want to think about this terrible day. I cried for months straight, blaming myself for her death, and I didn't need a repeat. I've compressed my feelings that I only care about Joyce, my parents, Kate, and Warren. Nobody else matters to me. Nothing else either. I've thought about dropping out of Blackwell but I couldn't leave Kate and Warren alone. Especially since Victoria is still her crude self. You'd think that after her best friend was sent to prison and a student dying because of him, she would be nicer to everyone. If anything, it made her more angry. Maybe because Nathan understood her well?

Suddenly, the bell rings and students begin to flee. Warren lets go of my arm and stands up, offering me his hand. I take his offer and raise up, fixing the bag over my shoulder.

"Speaking of photography," I try to change the subject, "I better find out which photo I'm submitting."

He noticed that I didn't want to talk about Chloe. I'm sure he felt bad about mentioning her, but I didn't want an apology. I just wanted to stop talking about her. He understood and went along with my new topic. "I'm sure you'll think of something. You won the Everyday Hero's contest a few years ago, I'm sure you can do anything!"

"Thanks for the positivity, Warren. It's much needed and appreciated."

"It's what I'm here for."


	2. The Golden Hour

**Chapter Two**

**The Golden Hour**

* * *

 

I was sitting on a bench, in front of the lighthouse. It feels so weird to see Arcadia Bay so clean. Well, not really. Someone decided to throw their trash around and some animals got a hold of it. By clean I meant in a pristine condition. Three years ago, I saw the tornado rip the roofs off of homes, making it look like a huge wasteland. I remember looking up at the grey sky as a huge tornado made it's way across the sea, ready to strike.

I shouldn't of come here, but it's still once of the most peaceful places at the Bay.

I invited Warren up here, hoping to have some company during this long day. The sun was setting over the water, giving everything a golden glow. Normally, my photogenic self would be all over this action. Instead, I sat and took it in. How some of the diner's windows reflected with a bright light, the water sparkling beneath me, and the lightning bugs that slowly crept out.

I pulled off a long strand of grass that nobody had mowed in probably months. I twisted it around my fingers and pulled it apart, keeping myself occupied as I waited for the nerd. Right as I thought about him, I saw him walking up the long dirt trail with a bag in his hand. He waved, smiled, and walked a little faster. I gave him a gentle smile and wave back.

"One large soda for Mad Max."

"This better be cola or I'm suing." Warren laughed at me and took a sip of his drink. I took a gulp of mine and smiled, tasting the bubbly drink dance across my taste buds. Warren shoved his hand back into the bag and pulled out a little bucket of fries. Only Joyce can serve up the best fries. Well, the best food in general. "Is Kate still coming?"

"She had to run back to her dorm, so she might be a little late." Warren explained. The golden glow made his eyes a dark gold, the rip tides shimmering in his iris', capturing the moment like a camera. He pulled a little ketchup packet from the bag and squirted it over a few fries. Warren smiled before popping the soggy fries into her mouth, swallowing it whole, not wanting to savor the moment.

"I used to love coming up here."

"What happened?" I remained silent and he nodded, understanding what I meant. "Well... I'm sure those times were amazing. Think about the good moments." I appreciate Warren's advice, he really tries, but I've done everything he's suggested. I've done the happy thoughts, deep breathing, and surrounding myself around positive people. He's not a therapist but he still cares, I appreciate that.

"Do you ever wish you could travel back?"

"Back where?"

"Anywhere."

Warren bit his lip before knitting his brows together, thinking hard at my question. "I mean... I wouldn't mind attending the circus I saw years ago." I threw my head back, not expecting that answer. I expected something deeper. He always asked about Chloe and how I was, wanting personal information that I was scared to open up about. I was scared of either crying so hard I'd passed out or accidentally spill about my time travel abilities. I trusted Warren but I don't know how well he trusted me. Warren noticed my annoyance and nodded, "Yeah, several times."

I turned to look at him, he met my gaze. His happy-go-lucky self vanished which was rare. Warren always wore a smile on his face. He never wanted to see anyone upset, so he forced a smile to get a smile back. This time, he let it go.

"What-"

"Hey guys!" I was cut off with someone running up the long and winding dirt trail. Warren and I jumped at the noise, not expecting Kate to be sprinting over to us. Her messy blonde bun bounced around wildly, barley holding it's place, as her skirt desperately clung to her petite body. Her cheeks were flushed red against her light skin, she was out of breath from running up the long hill towards us. "Sorry I'm late! I had to drop off stuff to my room and missed the bus."

"It's no big deal." I laughed and patted the wooden bench that Warren and I sat on. She sat to my right, Warren was on my left, forcing me to be in the middle.

"What did I miss?"

"Only some of the best fries in town!" Warren jiggled the bag in front of Kate's face, teasing her, a huge smile spread across his goofy face. Kate reached for the bag and Warren pulled away. Suddenly, he pulled out a fry and ate it in front of her.

"You're evil, Graham!"

"Only when people are late."

"Oh ha ha!" Kate gave a fake laugh and reached for the bag again, grabbing a hold of it, and popping a fried potato wedge into her mouth. We all sat in silence, taking in the view of Arcadia Bay, wondering why the hell we were here. It's moments like these that I cherish the most. I know it could've been me instead of Chloe that died. I know that Warren and Kate would be dead, swirling around in the tornado, if I didn't go back to save them. You never know how much time you have with someone. For that, I enjoy any few seconds or hours I may have with the few friends I've made.

"I must admit, even though this town is shit, the view is incredible." I mutter to the two friends beside me.

"No kidding." Kate agreed as Warren nodded his head. "Speaking of this town, Dana is throwing her annual Halloween party!"

"I swear, that girl loves her parties." I shook my head, Chloe's bullet necklace clanging against each other, creating a light wind-chime themed song. "So, what the theme for this year?" Last year it was zombie themed. Warren dressed up like Rick from the Walking Dead. I didn't know which series he was going for, so I chose to be Clementine from the video game. Everyone else was a zombie-fied version of things. Dana was a zombie cheerleader while Trevor was a zombie football player. One guy dressed up as Micheal Jackson in Thriller, which was pretty spot on.

"Victorian Gothic... vampire... thing." Kate tried to explain but failed to get the proper words out. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a poster that Dana had clearly made. It was covered in glitter and gel pens. The poster was very... uh... frightening. I can tell how Kate was confused from the theme. It said one thing but with how Dana glamorized it, it looked like a teen's fantasy about sexy vampires. Looking around the poster, I realized that it was funded by the Vortex Club. Of course it was. Who else could've funded a huge party? Nathan and Victoria used to own the club. But ever since Nathan and Mr. Jefferson went to jail, it's just been Victoria's handy work. Well, except for the parties.

"It's Halloween night." Warren points to the date on the poster which was scribbled in a 'spooky' font. "Damn, I was planning to go trick-or-treating. But, if you guys are going, I'll be in."

"I'm not sure," Kate's voice was a low whisper, "I'm still not sure about going to one of their parties. I just thought I would bring it up in case you two wanted to go. I attended the last one and nothing happened. But... you never know. Right?"

"You have every right to feel that way," I put my hand on the saint's shoulder, "we can always watch scary movies or beg people for candy."

Kate smiles into my eyes before resting her head on my shoulder, "Thanks, Max. I'll think about it and let you guys know by Friday."

"Of course, take your time." Warren smiles before gesturing back to the sunset, "The sun's almost completely down, do you guys want to head back?"

"Actually, I have to. I'm sorry about cutting this short." Kate shoves the poster back into her bag and stands up, "I have to attend Alice, she hates being alone for several hours straight. See you guys tomorrow!" With that, she was jogging back down the trail, waving back at us. Warren and I waved back, smiling at her, watching the religious young woman round the corners of the trail.

The sun rested beyond the horizon, making tiny bugs come out and play. They lit up the ground, blinking delicately, almost dancing around Warren and I. The nerd reached for his cup and took a long gulp of the beverage before speaking.

"Will you be okay tonight?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because anytime there's a date around her, like her birthday or something, your nightmares get more intense."

My gaze went to the ground. I rubbed my black sneaker into the dirt, digging into the surface, wanting to ignore what he said. He normally lets it slide but he wanted an answer. He wanted to know that I was okay. Warren turned his head towards me, waiting for an answer, not taking anymore silence from me. I bit my lip and nodded slightly.

"Only one way to find out."

That's how I found myself at three in the morning, like always, jerking upwards in my sleep. My chest was pounding so hard that I heard it in my ears, I was gasping for air like I ran a marathon, sweat and tears dripping down my face. I looked over at my phone, unlocking it to see the time. I grumbled to myself and fell back. I rubbed the crust from my eyes using my palms, trying to realize what had just happened.

I saw the tornado and Chloe was completely bloody, especially the side of her head and stomach. She's holding onto the edge, tears in her eyes, asking me why I'm about to let her die. I'm unable to move, as if I'm glued to the ground, forced to watch her be sucked away. I see things hit her, breaking her bones, and eventually her neck and back. Her screams still ring in my ears as I held my head, it pounding like a bass drum, refusing to let me have peace.

I pulled the covers off my body and slipped my flip flops on. I grabbed my phone, turning the flashlight on, and walked into the darkened hallway of the girl's dorm. I needed a drink or at least some fresh air. Everyone's door was shut. Normally Dana had her door open for Trevor or Juliet to sneak in and talk, but even her door was shut. Kate always went to bed early as did most of the other girls. It was dead silent. Part of me was happy yet sad. I needed someone to talk to. It's the weekend, most of them should be staying up and drinking their lives away.

I went to the vending machine and pulled a dollar out of my phone case. I hated actual wallets and purses, so I keep most things I need in-between my phone and the case. It's a bit more easier that way. I got a bottle of water and exited the main building. The tobanga sat in the corner of the tiny courtyard, guarding the students from the night, standing tall and proud. It acted like a mighty warrior who was ready to strike.

I began walking around the campus, not paying attending, and ended up in front of the main building. The one that's near the pool and where I met Warren earlier. The statue and fountain of the founder of Blackwell Academy looked creepy at night. The gold that it was made of looked rusted, as if it was abandoned. The several coins shimmered inside as they prepared to grant wishes. I walked straight, going towards the swimming pool, and pulled on the doors. Damn, David must've locked them. I'm sure the Vortex Club is hosting the party inside of here. It's almost always in the pool. I didn't know why I wanted to go inside. I guess because the last time I was inside was when Chloe and I snuck in.

But then again, it didn't happen. At least in this new timeline.

I keep reminding myself that nothing happened, technically. I have to forget about the bottle shooting, finding Rachel, and being trapped by Jefferson in his dark room. It's over with. Three years over with. I need to move on and pretend it didn't happen. To everyone else but me, it didn't happen. Therefore, I shouldn't be paranoid anymore, right? I shouldn't have the nightmares that feel so real.

Shit, I'm thinking about it.

I walked away from the doors and went inside the main building. The doors were always open for late night studying. Terrible mistake, really. I'm sure many people sneak into the classrooms to smoke or have sex. I haven't caught anyone yet, but I wouldn't be surprised.

I walked past the bathrooms, the principal office, and Jefferson's old room. Even though he was replaced, I still keep my eyes low to the ground. The dark energy still surrounds the area. It's where Kate and him argued, where Victoria tried to seduce him, and where all this hell began and ended. This little room in this shitty school. Instead, I went across the hall to Ms. Grant's room.

The little fish tank was lit up, giving the room a nice light blue glow. It felt so peaceful. Even though I wasn't the best at science, this room felt like home. I walked over to Warren's seat and remembered the time I helped with his science experiment. At first, it blew up in his face. But I rewound and gave him the correct answer. He was so happy and promised me a hug. In that timeline, he didn't give me one until seconds before the tornado came crashing through. In this one, his hugs are for comfort, not happiness or pride.

I decided to face my fear and walk into Mr. Jefferson's old room. Everything was filled with color due to the new teacher. It felt more like a daycare room than a photography room. I'm sure she wanted to lighten it up due to the events of Jefferson. But, not even her colorful decor or bubbly personality could make me forget what happened.

On the new teachers desk was a sheet of paper. I think I've done worse things than snoop, so I figure it's okay to look. On the desk was the attendance sheet. Weirdly enough, my photography class has stayed the same. A few people dropped and been added over the years, but most of us stayed. This includes me, Victoria, Kate, and Stella. Taylor decided to take up another gym for cheer-leading which overlapped with this period, so she dropped it. Daniel went to an art class. Everyone else... who knows. Maybe they felt the bad vibes too and ditched. Everything seemed normal until I saw two new names scribbled down below everyone's name. I pulled my phone higher and adjusted my flashlight above my face, squinting my eyes to read the sloppy hand writing.

Suddenly, my phone went crashing down onto the desk before falling once more to the ground, a slight crack forming on the screen. I didn't care. I didn't know how to process what I had seen. I blinked my eyes several times before adjusted them again, rereading the name again and again, hoping it was an error. It wasn't.

At the bottom of the page, one of the names read Nathan Prescott's.


	3. Familiar Faces

**Chapter Three**

**Familiar Faces**

* * *

 

Nathan Prescott. The actual Nathan Prescott, who shot and killed Chloe, was allowed back at Blackwell. The same school that he killed Chloe in and drugged girls for Jefferson's sick pleasure. I get that his family basically owns the school, but I'd figure they'd have common sense. Send him to a prep school or jail again. Don't release him to cause more pain to everyone else.

"Seriously, Nathan?" Warren asked, leaning against a locker that was next to mine. I just explained what happened last night. How I had the nightmare, went inside the school, and saw the new list. "Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe she remembered him and wrote his name down for... research?"

"I don't think so, Warren. She could've used a different paper but decided to use that one. Not only that, but a new name was on it."

"Damn, that new student is in for a world of trouble." Warren chuckled before clearing his throat, probably realizing that the comment slightly hurt me. Warren was a lot like me. He says whatever is on his mind, thinking it'll sound fine, but notices later that it was stupid.

"I'm hoping they have David following him around for everyone sake." I grabbed a photography book from my locker, shoving it into my bag, and closed my locker. Almost on cue, it got very quiet. Too quiet. You could hear a pen drop on the other side of the school if you wanted to. Warren was glued to the floor, looking in the direction that everyone else was. I followed everyone's gaze and became silent and stiff too.

Down the hall was the one and only Nathan Prescott. David Madsen was following shortly behind, escorting him around. Nathan looked so... different. Before hell broke loose, he used to gel his hair, wear designer clothes, and wore some type of 'I'm better than you and you know it' scowl. Now, he's the total opposite. His light brown hair fell in front of his eyes, hiding most of his face. He wore a simple white t-shirt and jeans with a grey jacket. Basically, he stole my style. I assumed that his father wasn't proud of his reputation and took a lot of things away. Maybe he got cut financially too? I wouldn't be surprised.

If I had a child who committed a huge crime, I wouldn't disown them like Sean Prescott probably did. I would tell them to save money and move out as soon as possible. Is that too harsh?

Then again, murdering and drugging people is pretty harsh.

A lump in my throat formed and I tried to push it down. It didn't work. I didn't know what I felt. Anger? Sadness? Shock? I felt them all yet my expression stayed the same. I was just a blank canvas. Warren turned and looked into my eyes, giving me a gentle smile, trying to comfort me. It didn't work. Nathan walked past me and Warren but from the corner of his eye, I know he saw us. His head was towards the ground, refusing to look anyone in the eye. David opened Ms. Yui's (Jefferson's old room) door and walked Nathan inside.

It's messed up how David is assigned to be the body guard of someone who killed his step-daughter. I'm sure he's holding everything back from punching him to death. If I were him, I would quit my job and do it.

Warren scratches the back of his neck, "If you need me, I'll be in Ms. Grants." Right then, the warning bell rang throughout the entire school. I had to attend class with the same person who killed Chloe and Rachel. The same person that drugged Kate for someone else's sick fantasies. I nodded at him and Warren wrapped his arms around me. I don't return hugs anymore. The last time I hugged someone, it was Chloe. Our final goodbye. Anytime that someone hugs me, I think of her and how I just left her. Warren doesn't know that, though. He just thinks I don't like giving hugs, just receiving them. Which is basically true at this point. The nerdy boy pulls away, giving me a reassuring smile, and walks into the science room where Ms. Grant greets her students.

I pulled my bag over my shoulder, readjusting it, and sighed to myself. Kate appears beside me, slightly startling me.

"Hey, Max?"

"Hey, Kate." I greeted back, "What's up?"

"Is it true that Nathan's back?"

"Yeah, I just saw him."

Kate sighs and moves the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. I can tell she's very uncomfortable like I am. You'd figure they'd give him a different class. Not the one where he drugged a girl and another one witnessed him murdering someone. Welcome to Blackwell Academy, where the rich are super privileged and nothing else matters. I'm assuming that they are hiring another guard to patrol the school regularly while David watches over Nathan. I don't know if he will be watching Nathan the entire school year or just for a short period. Either way, it shouldn't be David's job. He walked in on Nathan shooting his daughter.

"If it's okay, could I sit with you? Just until I know it's safe."

"Of course." I smiled and squeezed her arm. Kate smiled back but didn't look me in the eyes. She was probably still worried about everything. I don't blame her. I'm not worried about Nathan. If anything, I'm just... hurt. I'm not completely angry nor sad. I can't describe it. I could scream and punch him in the face but I know he didn't mean anything. He's sick. He was forced to assist Jefferson before wanting to impress him, which lead him to kill Rachel and hurt Kate. Nathan killed Chloe because he was pressured and accidentally pulled the trigger. I don't forgive him but I understand that it's not all his fault.

With that, Kate and I walked into Ms. Yui's room. The once bright-ish atmosphere was heavy. Victoria and Ms. Yui always chatted and some students would enter the room, talking to other classmates. But today was different. Everyone was silent, in their seats, heads faced down as they looked at the black marble tables. Nathan sat in the very front, near Stella, while David leaned against the wall. David's arms were folded as he watched everyone in the room. Something was hidden behind the soldier's eyes. I think he was trying to conceal his sadness. I know he pretends to be tough around Joyce and other students, which he's done a decent job at. But with the killer of his daughter in the room, which he has to babysit, I wouldn't be happy either. Nathan was faced towards David and Ms. Yui's desk, his back against everyone else, looking at his shoe. He seemed... calm? When I would see him, his fist and jaw were clenched and his leg bounced. Now, he was slumped over, resting one arm on the desk, fists unclenched, and wasn't jittery. He almost seemed normal.

Almost.

I sat in the same seat that I've been in for the last few years. In the very back, middle table, right chair. Kate sat next to me and pulled out her notebook and gel pens. I'm glad she still had her innocence after all these years. With Chloe dying, her leaked video quickly vanished from everyone's mind. Ms. Yui rises from her desk and forces a smile, trying to release some tension in the room. It didn't work.

"Good morning, class!" She beamed while clapping her hands together, "As you may have noticed, we have a new student today! Please give a warm welcome to Nathan Prescott!" Ms. Yui claps her hands, smiling widely, trying to get us welcome Nathan. Her smile fades as she notices us not participating, not caring he was here. Kate gulps and begins to draw a swirl in the corner of her notebook. From the corner of my eye, I can see Victoria scratching her fake nails against the desk. She was clearly still upset with her ex-best friend. I'm sure she had mixed feelings. Betrayal, confusion, anger, and sadness. After all, I'm sure Nathan would've drugged her for Jefferson's use. He saw her as a subject, not a friend. "Mr. Madsen will be in our class for a while, so please make him feel welcome. Nathan, why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"

"I'm sure they know all about me." Nathan's voice was almost a whisper as you could barely hear it. Nobody responded for a few minutes, not knowing what to say, which included Ms. Yui. She turned to David who looked away from her, not wanting to get involved. She nodded and sighed to herself, forcing another smile.

"Well, Nathan is not the only new student we have today." She walks over to the door, her high heels clinking against the tile floor excitedly. Everyone's head raised up in suspicion, including Nathan and David's. We all looked at the main door that opened up before shutting. Ms. Yui walks to the front of the room with the new student, holding onto his arm. "Class, please give a warm welcome to Sean Diaz! He came here from Seattle!"

Sean... Diaz? The Sean Diaz? Sean looked around the room, giving everyone a warm smile. A few students smiled back at him before shoving their heads back down into their books.

Sean and I used to attend school together in Seattle. He was friends with the art and photography students and I happened to fall inside of that clique. I thought that he was dead. He randomly ran off after his dad passed away, I think from a police officer. He took his little brother, Daniel, with him. I haven't heard from him months. At least... seven? When I moved back to Arcadia a few years ago, we would video chat sometimes. If his mom is still gone and his dad is still dead, who is he staying with? Does he have a dorm? Maybe grandparents? Where's Daniel?

"Sean," Ms. Yui began, "why don't you share something about yourself? Maybe why you like photography?"

"I love drawing, mainly. But, that class was already filled." He simply explained. Same old Sean, getting right to the point. His dark blue alien hoodie matched his striped beanie, which he pulled over to cover his eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. But photography is very similar to art! Right, class?" Ms. Yui tries to make us agree but we're all either bored or nervous from Nathan, so we didn't respond. "Anyways, you can sit next at the table next to Max, if you'd like." Ms. Yui motions to the table the Kate normally sits at. He nodded in agreement and began walking over towards me. I couldn't help but stare at him. He didn't notice.

The rest of the class was a blur. Nathan kept to himself while Sean tried his best to pay attention. Halfway through the class, he began to sketch. He always lost interest in things unless it involved girls, games, skateboarding, or drawing. Typical teenage boy.

* * *

"So, how was he?" Warren asked. We were walking towards the dormitories. All of our classes were done with and we both just wanted to relax. I tuned out most of our conversation until he mentioned Nathan.

"Quiet. Almost too quiet."

"That's good, right?"

I shrugged, "Depends. Mr. Madsen wasn't thrilled."

"Who would be? Especially when you have to look after someone like him." He took a sip of his water bottle before twisting the cap back on. We made our way to the little courtyard that separated the area between the girl's dorm and boy's. I feel like most of this school's funding goes towards landscaping than anything else. The nicer it looks from the outside, the better reputation it has, I assumed. Warren opened the door to the boy's dorm for me. I stepped inside as he closed the door behind us. Technically, girl's aren't allowed in the boy's dormitories and vise versa. But that doesn't stop Dana from sneaking around to sleep with Trevor late at night. Nobody's caught anyone yet and they won't. Besides, the school has taken it easy on me since Chloe's death. I've snuck out after curfew and went to Warren's dorm several times and nobody has said anything.

"There's someone else who came back."

"If it's Jefferson, I'm suing." Warren chuckled a little but didn't receive a response back from me.

"No, thank God." I pulled my grey sleeve down, covering one of my hands. "He's from my old school-"

Right as I rounded the corner, going towards Warren's room, I bumped into someone. Hard. I fell to the ground from the large impact, books flying all over me. I grabbed a hold of a table that normally held advertisements for future school events, trying to boost myself up. Warren noticed how I was struggling and grabbed my arm, helping me rise up.

Turning around was none other than Nathan himself. He was on his knees, grabbing his books and putting them in his arms. A few slipped out and he sighed loudly, trying to gather them again. Warren's breath hitched as he turned to me, wondering what to do. Last time we ran into Nathan in the hall, Warren beat him until he could hardly move. But that was with Chloe in another timeline. Instead of spitting on Nathan, telling him how much of a shit bag he is, I bent down on my knees. My fingertips touched the old books before reaching out to give one to him.

Nathan's eyebrows were once knitted together, mad at himself for being so clumsy. When he realized that I was helping him, they raised up in shock. His mouth gaped open as if he saw a ghost, shocked that I would actually help him. He looked up at Warren, back at me, and then at the book I was handing him. Nathan's trembling fingers reached for the book, grabbing it lightly, and bringing it close to his chest.

It was right there when I realized that he has changed. For the worse? No. For the better? Also no. Before being arrested, Nathan was extremely angry and aggressive. He was always looking for a fight and would scream at anyone who wasn't on his side. He didn't know how to deal with his mental state nor the abuse that his father and Jefferson gave him. Now, it seemed as if he was a fragile bird. If you gently touched him, he could break. He seems like he's on edge at all times, afraid to be broken, and wants to keep to himself. I feel like he knows what he did wrong, too. Since Victoria and his other friends aren't talking to him, I'm sure he feels very alone. I bet his family disowned him too, so add that stress on-top of everything.

"Thanks." Nathan smiled weakly at me, the sadness and embarrassment still showing in his eyes. Nathan nodded at Warren before walking past us, going into a new room that was once abandoned. I guess they didn't assign him to his old room, which was still empty.

Well, not for long.

As Warren and I rounded the corner, we saw Sean trying to unlock the door.

"Puerta estúpida! Primer día aquí y ni siquiera me pueden dar la llave correcta."

"Hey, man. You need help?" Warren asked waving gently with a friendly smile. Damn it, Warren! I understand he's just trying to be nice but out of all the people? He could've helped literally anyone else. He could've helped me with Nathan just a few seconds prior. I rounded the corner, hiding behind a pillar while Warren helped Sean with his key. Of course he was assigned to Nathan's old room. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through Instagram, not wanting to talk to Sean just yet. That was until Warren called out for me. "Max? Where did you go?"

Fuck.

I rounded the corner to see Warren standing in the door frame, smiling at me. I flashed him a fake smile before locking eyes with Sean, giving him a gentle wave. Sean's gentle smile started to drop... and drop... and drop until it couldn't go further down. He wasn't sad nor disappointed, just shocked enough that he didn't know how else to react.

"Max?"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Warren asked with a slight chuckle rolling off his tongue. He glanced back at Sean who's eyes were glued to mine, staring deeply into my soul.

"Yeah," I nodded and forced a smile, "he's my ex-boyfriend."


	4. Shattered

**Chapter Four**

**Shattered**

* * *

 

Silence. Just plain and stupid silence filled the space between Warren and I. We didn't know what to say. I was shocked that I saw Sean again and Warren was shocked about... actually, what was he shocked at? That I had a boyfriend before? That it seems like Sean followed me? Warren laid on his bed while I was next to him, also lying down, both of us staring at the ceiling.

"So," Warren began, "is he nice?"

"Is he nice?" I repeated back, confused by what he was getting at. He bounced his brows flirtatiously which made my cheeks grow red. I hit him on the arm which caused him to break out in a roar of laughter. I struggled to get out words, "W-We never-!"

"Calm down, Maxims. I'm just joking around."

"Jerk." I rolled my eyes as a smile spread across my face.

"But seriously, is he a nice guy? The last thing you need is trouble."

I thought about what he said for a moment. Was he a nice guy? He was pretty chill when him and I used to hang out together. Even though he's very quiet and shy, he was also a daredevil. So sometimes we'd sneak out and walk around the streets of Seattle, pretending we were drunk and madly in love. Soon after, we would stop pretending. At least on the love part. Him and I lived on the same street, making it easier for us to hang out. But the thought of him running off with his brother also makes me hesitant. If he was truly innocent, why did he run? I had so many questions that my mind raced a million miles an hour.

"I think so," I began with a huge sigh, "he's done some questionable things, but always treated me right."

Warren nodded before turning towards me, "Do you still have feelings for him?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't! No, I do!" He stumbles over his words and raises up on his bed, looking down at me with flustered cheeks. "I just want you to be happy, that's all."

I raised up with him, "Thank you, Warren. But I don't think I'll be giving him a second chance too soon."

"Ouch! Did it end on a bad note?"

"Not really, I'd rather just be friends."

Warren goofy smiles turns into a genuine smile which soon fades. He looks over his shoulder at me, cleared his throat, and sighed. "Do you think... that maybe, you'll be in a relationship again?"

My eyes traveled from my fingertips that picked at each-other to his. They were filled of something. Hope? Sadness? I brushed it off and nodded with a slight smile forming, "Of course, I just don't want to be in one with him." Warren turned away, scratching the back of his neck. With his free hand, he grabbed his cell phone to check the time. Over his shoulder, I noticed that it was almost six o-clock. Damn, time sure does fly by. "I'd like to stay and talk more but I should get back to my dorm."

"Of course, don't want you to get caught!" Warren joked. I flashed him a smirk while rolling my eyes. The nerdy boy shot me airguns with a wink. We both waved at each-other before I opened the door, exiting the room, and shutting the door behind me. Why was Warren so worried about Sean? If anything, he should worry about Nathan. Who knows if he's fully changed. He could've changed his behavior but still has the same sick hobbies.

* * *

"Can someone tell me what chemicals to use if you process photos in a dark room?"

Ms. Yui's words forced me out of my doodles. I was writing in my journal about everything that's happened so far. From hanging out with Kate and Warren, seeing Sean again, and literally bumping into Nathan. I was doing some finishing touches to Sean's face that I sketched in. I took inspiration from how he was currently sitting. Hunched over in his chair, bouncing his leg, also doodling in his notebook. Even though I was more into photography, we used to love drawing together. Whenever Ms. Yui mentioned a dark room, the entire world came back to me.

I snapped out of my fantasy and memories of Jefferson and his dark room came back. The needles that were constantly shoved into my neck, my slow yet heavy heart beat echoing throughout the room, and the constant sound of a camera shutter. I could still feel like plastic and latex gloves over my arms, looking for the best place for the needle to enter me.

I closed my eyes, trying to block it out, but everything became worse. I remembered seeing Victoria tied up and passed out on the leather couch, begging for me to save her. The memory of the duct tape around my limbs made me feel claustrophobic. I felt as if I was suffocating in a plastic bag, refusing to let free. I began to rub my legs nervously as I realized I was having a panic attack. I haven't had one in such a long time.

My breathing increased, chest became tighter, and tears sprung to my eyes. I can't cry! At least in front of everyone here. Victoria would make fun of me and Kate would be worried, causing everyone to turn their attention towards me. I didn't want to be teased or have comfort, I just wanted everything to go away. The pain, memories, and screams in the middle of the night. I want it to be gone. I want it to be gone!

I stood up and jogged out of the room. My chair fell backwards, starting everyone in the room, which only gave me the attention I dreaded.

Sean jumped in his seat, snapping his head in fear. This applied to Kate, Victoria, and Nathan. Especially Nathan. He jumped so far up that he almost stood up with me. He turned his head towards my direction so quickly that he would've gotten whiplash. I pushed grabbed a hold of the door and ran out of the chaotic room. When I got into the main hall, the tears began to spill.

I couldn't hold them back any longer. They had a mind of it's own and begged to be set free. I began to hyperventilate, going into the same bathroom that Chloe made her last appearance three years prior. I didn't even notice I went into the same bathroom until I noticed the same drawings on the walls. From saying Kate is a slut, Rachel is dead, and Victoria sucks dick.

Until I saw it.

Carved on one of the bathroom mirror's was Chloe's name. I traced my fingertips over the carving, trying to make out the rest of the message. My stomach dropped when I realized what it meant.

_"Chloe Price deserved to die here."_

My tears became cold against my hot face, trying their best to cool me off. The anxiety that danced around in my chest and stomach vanished before being replaced with a volcano. I bit my lip as my fists clenched together, my nude nails digging into my skin. All my anxiety was gone and replaced with anger. Who the fuck wrote this? Who would ever write something like this? Nobody deserved this! I paced back and forth in the bathroom, holding onto my short hair and tugging at my grey jacket. My heart beat increased from the adrenaline and anger that boiled deep inside of me.

Turning back towards the mirror, my mind replayed everything. Me dropping to my knees behind the stalls, Chloe begging to be left alone, Nathan screaming at her, and finally... the shot. The last raspy breath that left the blue haired lips. Nathan's low roar that escaped his throat, realizing what had just happened. That was followed by the sobs and him begging her to stop playing around. The way Nathan screamed when David pinned Nathan down and cradled his dead daughter in his arms. The way that David begged Chloe to wake up for her mother's sake. How Nathan begged David to forgive him, repeating how sorry he was until he lost his voice.

I couldn't do anything. It was my fault. She didn't deserve to die.

From the bottom of my stomach was a large wave of heat which slowly went up my chest, into my throat, and out of my mouth. It was a mix between the same growl that Nathan had when he shot Chloe along with a scream. I sounded like an animal. As if I was some dangerous beast who hadn't been let out of it's cage in years. I was tired of holding everything back! My entire body was physically, mentally, and emotionally tired of hiding it's pain. I screamed at my own reflection before rearing my right fist back.

The floor was covered in diamonds as the sink was covered in large ones. It looked like several crystals surrounded me, becoming painted with a light pink before it turned into a dark red. My entire body, especially my bloody fist, trembled in adrenaline and anger. How many times did I punch the glass? Three, ten, or maybe fifteen times? Either way, not one shard of glass was left. It fell around me like shiny blanket, glistening in the sun from the window.

I slammed my fists against the porcelain sink, my blood splattering against it. I slammed them down again and I just couldn't stop.

_"Always take the shot."_

Slam!

_"Watch out Max, he's after you next."_

Slam!

_"Don't you forget about me."_

I slammed my fists down once again. The nerves in my fingers and wrist screamed in pain, a sharp tingling sensation making ocean waves up my hands. I've held in my anger for so long that it was spilling out like an overflowing tea pot. Looking up at the mirror, one large shard of glass remained. It was in the top left corner, where the message was. The only piece remained was Chloe's name that was carved.

Looking down at my trembling hands, I groaned to myself. How the hell was I supposed to attend class looking like this? I don't know how to remove glass properly. Do you just rip the particles out? Go to a doctor? Leave them inside? Should I get my stuff and go back to my dorm? I threw my head back in frustration before walking out of the bathroom. Hopefully nobody will suspect I did this.

I rolled my sleeve down wrapped it around my bloody hand as I walked down the long hallway. That's when I saw Warren and he saw me. Shit, he's going to ask me what's wrong. From my crying face and bloody hand, it'll be a great conversation starter. The boy waved at me while a large grin spread across his lips. I forced a smile and a gentle wave with my semi-normal hand. By that I meant bruises were already forming on my knuckles. As he walked closer, I tried to avoid his gaze and walk to the other side of the hall. He noticed and started walking across the hall, towards me. Fucking hell!

"Hey, mad Max!" He nudged my arm playfully before noticing the dark red spot on my sleeve. "What the hell?"

"Please, don't." I whispered to him. But, he didn't listen. Warren gently grabbed my wrist, pulling it lightly towards him. Rolling up my sleeve, his confused expression turned shocked before sad. He was disappointed in me. I think ever since Chloe passed away, my anger has been worse. I've admitted that I've punched walls and almost got in a fist fight with Justin. I can't remember what he said exactly, but it had to do with Nathan and Chloe. I'm kinda glad I don't remember now.

"Max, what happened? What did you do?" He turned me around, forcing the grey jacket off of me. I allowed him to fold the jacket over my wound, using it as a large bandage.

"Check the girl's bathroom."

Warren closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, "Okay, follow me."

The curly haired boy lead me past the courtyard and into the boy's dormitories. After leading me into his room, he shut the door and rushed over to his dresser. On top was a little box decorated in Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars stickers. This boy sure did love his sci-fi. I'm more into drama movies but he insists to watch anything to do with space, supernatural, and gore. I don't mind them, but it's not my particular cup of tea on a Friday night. Warren unlocked the box and searched around. He pulled out a pair of tweezers, rubbing alcohol, an old rag, and band aids.

"You should become a doctor." I joked.

He gave me a breathless chuckle, "With how much Nathan used to hit me, I'm surprised I haven't yet."

I remember Warren getting beat up by Nathan for standing up to me. I'm sure that it wasn't the first time Nathan had touched Warren either. He admitted that a few jocks pick on him. With Nathan's old temper, I'm sure he would hurt Warren. I swore one time I saw a nasty bruise on Warren's arm but I didn't question it. I figured that he probably fell since he can be clumsy. But after Nathan beating him up, and how Warren just admitted that it wasn't the first time, I felt so bad.

"Here, hold onto this." He handed me the rag and I squeezed it in my hand, "This may hurt."

"It's the price I have to pay."

Warren smirked before moving his table lamp closer, leaning down with his tweezers, inching them closer.

"So, what happened?" He asked before gently pulling a tiny shard of glass from my knuckle. I winced in pain as the glass separated my skin to exit. I took a tiny chunk of the rag and put it between my lips before biting.

"I had an anxiety attack."

"When I have one, I don't punch glass."

I rolled my eyes at him where he smiled, enjoying me getting annoyed at him. Warren pulled the tweezers up wards to show me the chunk. Damn, it was pretty large. When it was in my skin, it looked so tiny. It must've went deep and hid, showing only a small portion, to be this large. My raised my eyebrows, shocked at the sight. Warren placed the shard into the trash can he pulled next to him, scrapped the tweezers on the plastic, before returning to the position he was in.

"I saw someone make a comment about Chloe." Warren grabbed a piece and gently yanked on it. The movement was too much and I screamed out in pain, gently jerking my hand.

"Sorry!" He pulled back and sighed, "I thought I could do it like a band-aid. It's what I normally do. I guess not with you."

"It okay, just do whatever you did the first time." I placed my hand in the air, waiting for him to grab it. Warren's warm fingertips wrapped around my wrist, gently grabbing me, and stroked my hand. I smiled gently, enjoying the slight comfort he offered me. "The message was written on the mirror. I got upset and next thing I knew, glass was shattered around me."

"...And some was in your hand." He continued for me, chuckling softly. "Max Caulfield, whatever will we do with you?"

"Make me a professional boxer?"

"Bingo! I'll hook an agent up with you." Warren and I chuckled before he scrunched his face, trying his hardest to see the tiny chunks. He spots one, rolls over the area with his thumb, and prepared his tweezers. I took a deep breath and prepared myself. Warren dug the metal into my skin, pulling out the chunk, and threw it into the trash can. It didn't hurt as the first few pieces, but still enough for me to notice. Warren moved the light closer before picking out another piece of glass. "I don't blame you getting upset. Of course, smashing a mirror wasn't the best idea."

"I'll take note of that."

"Seriously Max, you've been acting out again." Whenever Chloe died and I got over the sadness, I became violently angry. I tore up my entire room, screaming at the top of my lungs. All the girls, including Victoria, were scared of me. Dana ran off to find Warren, when she did, I was still so angry. I pounded my fists against the curly haired nerd, screaming and crying into his face. He grabbed my arms and pulled me down to the floor where I had a meltdown, crying in his arms. "I really don't want a repeat of last time... or worse."

"I know. It won't happen again." I gave him a reassuring smile, "I just had a lot of emotions built up."

"It's not healthy to keep them inside. I'm always here for you! You know that, right?"

I remained silent. I've tried distancing myself from Kate and Warren but also want to stay close. Part of me wanted to get closer to them just in case something bad happens, like losing them how I lost Chloe. At the same time, I want to distance myself so I wouldn't experience the same pain. Warren glanced up at me, his dark brown eyes looking deeply into my soul. I nodded before he looked back down, halfway done of helping me.

When he did finish, he walked over to his mini fridge. Warren pulled out a cold water bottle, went over to his night stand, and grabbed baking soda.

"What are you doing?"

"What a scientist does best!" He flashed me a smile, the gap between his teeth showing, before grabbing a tiny bowl we use for movie nights. He poured some baking soda inside along with some water and mixed it together until it formed a goopy substance. "I heard that this helps soften the skin and get glass out. I'm not completely sure, but it's worth a try."

Warren washed the blood off my hands, gently drying it with a cloth before rubbing the baking soda and water experiment on my knuckles. He wrapped a large band-aid around my knuckles.

"My hero." I playfully shoved his shoulder.

"Don't speak too soon, maybe that mix will make your hand fall off."

"If that's the case, you're paying for my new robotic hand."

"Only if I can get one!"


	5. Timeless

**Chapter Five  
**

**Timeless**

* * *

 

_Beep, beep! Beep, beep! **  
**_

Fucking alarm. I groaned and stretched my hand outwards, slamming it down a few times in attempt to find my phone. Finally, I found the little device and grabbed it. I pressed the little button which silenced the alarm. I hated mornings so much. I rubbed the matted gunk in my eyes before raising up in my bed, throwing the cover off my body. I looked to my left, looking in the mirror, and sighed. Just another day.

I raised to my feet and grabbed some fresh clothes along with the little bucket I had for taking a shower. I opened my door and began to walk down the long hallway of the girl's dormitory. Victoria's room blasted music which you could still hear from down the hall. Kate's room was cracked, meaning she was inside but willing to let anyone talk to her. Recently, she's been everyone's therapist. They vent to her and she listen's, offering advice that's normally religious. But, it's nice to know she's always willing her support.

I walked into the shower's and sighed to myself. Everybody takes their showers super early, making me the only one in here. Once in a while, Victoria and her minions come in to fix their makeup. Thankfully, I haven't seen them making their way yet. I piled my fresh clothes on the counter before stepping into the shower, stripping down, and turning the hot water on. Reaching into the bucket, I grabbed my bottle of shampoo. Several suds filled my hair as I scrubbed it in. I also put the soap on my body before washing everything off.

Once I finished changing, I made my way back towards my room.

Dana and Juliet ran past me, giggling at something that I had no interest in. They probably pranked Victoria or gossiped about boy drama. I rolled my eyes annoyed before opening the door to my room. I brushed my wet and tangled hair before putting on a little bit of perfume. It wasn't anything expensive like what Victoria wears, but it does the job. My little phone buzzed before lighting up, catching my attention. I picked it up, unlocked it, and went through my messages.

_**ONE NEW TEXT FROM; Warren** _

**Just a friendly reminder... you + me = ape!** **Tonight at 8pm. You in?**

_**8:32am** _

Above my mirror was a tiny calendar. Today was Wednesday, the twenty-sixth. I moved the bangs from my face, rereading his text a few times. Should I go? I blew him off a few years ago. But then again, that was around the time that Chloe passed away. He understood but was highly looking forward to it, just like he is now. I knew if I let him down again, he would be very upset.

**_TO; Warren_ **

**You buy the tickets, I'll handle the snacks. See you tonight! \^_^/**

**_8:36am_ **

I pressed the button which automatically locked my screen before turning it black. I slipped the device into my grey pocket, grabbed my messenger bag, and exited the dorm building. Normally, if I wasn't going to Two Whales, Kate and I would walk together. But I wasn't in the mood. With Sean and Nathan being around, I just wanted to slip my headphones in and get lost in my world.

That's exactly what I did.

I plugged my headphones into my phone, shuffling through Spotify before landing on a song. Making my way across the campus, I walked past everyone that I would've normally stopped and talked to. Thinking more about it, I was actually looking forward hanging out with Warren later. I could forget about Nathan and Sean, focusing on criticizing the movie.

Walking to Ms. Yui's class, I passed by Nathan and David. Nathan didn't seem to notice me, which made me feel relieved. Meanwhile, David flashed me a force smile and nodded my way. I smiled back, telling him a silent 'hello', and made my way past him. Even though everyone was staring at Nathan, I couldn't help but think they were staring at me. I knew it was just my imagination but it still got to me. I hugged my arm close to my body, trying to become smaller in my little shell. When I finally made it to class, Warren was sitting on my desk. Kate hadn't arrived yet, making me and Warren have a private conversation.

Well, I thought we would.

Sean was in the back right corner, adding some final details to a sketch he had. His brows were knitted together, lost in his own world. Warren noticed me walking over and he waved. I waved back and gave him a little smile. Sean's nosey eyes noticed the sudden movement and looked up at me, then at Warren, back at me, and down towards his sketchbook.

"Hey, Warren." I greeted and put my bag on the floor.

"Hey! Thanks for agreeing to tonight."

Sean's ears perked up, causing him to glance over at us.

"Yeah, it would've been lame if you went by yourself." I joked, pulling out my notebook and pencil case.

"I can have fun by myself!" Warren's voice went to a higher pitch as he felt slightly offended. I smirked, looking up at him. Fun... by himself? He caught my gaze and his cheeks flushed red. Sean also noticed because he smirked, twiddling the pencil between his thumb and index finger. "Shut up! That's not what I meant!"

"Keep lying to yourself, Mr. Graham." I pulled my Polaroid camera onto the desk and saw Kate walking in, "I'll see you later." With that, he hopped off my desk. He noticed Kate and waved at her, she smiled and wiggled her fingertips back at him. Kate smiled widely at me before setting her stuff next to me, sitting in the chair that she recently reserved for herself.

As I opened my journal, ready to relax and document today's events, a paper ball was thrown at me. I jumped at the little impact my eye took. The white crumpled ball rolled onto my journal, stopping on the crease where the spine was. Kate glanced over confused before searching through her bag once more. The ball came from the right. I already knew who threw it.

Looking over, I saw Sean motioning to the ball. I uncrumbled it and sighed at his chicken-scratch handwriting. It hasn't changed.

_**That dude totally has a boner for you.** _

I looked back at Sean who bit his lip, pulling his arms up and down while pretending to thrust the table. My eyes widened in shock before trying to hold a laugh back. I picked up my pencil and began to scribble a message back to him.

_**Says the dude who's afraid to verbally talk to me. Are you still hung up on me that I make you flustered? Wowzer!** _

I crumbled the paper up again and threw it back at the artist. The paper bounces off the table and lands on his sketchbook. He reaches up and unravels the paper. I put my hand in front of my mouth, trying to hide my large smile. Suddenly, his eyes grow wide and glances over at me. He looked just like Warren did a few moments ago. Wide doe eyes, cheeks flustered, and mouth slightly gaped open.

Sean put a hand to his chest, pretending to be awe-struck. I couldn't control my muffled laughter any longer as it came out in a roar. Kate, Nathan, and Victoria looked at me in confusion.

"Alright, I know I'm not the best looking but their's no need to laugh!" Ms. Yui walked into the room, smoothing out her black skirt. She smiled widely at me and I put my head down, embarrassed at how loud I was. "Normally, I would give a huge lecture about how to improve your photography, famous photographers, and all that stuff. But, for the next week we will be focusing on a project!"

Many people groaned except for me and Victoria. The rich teenager raised her hand high in the air, "Ms. Yui, will this be a competition? Like the Everyday Hero's contest?"

"Good question! But no, it won't." Ms. Yui walked over to her desk and pulled out a sheet of paper, "As you may know, we are almost at the halfway mark of this class. Think of this project more as a part one to your final project, since it will be a huge impact on your grade." She clears her throat before reading off the paper, "You must submit one un-edited photo about a memorable time. It can be simple from hanging out with friends or going to a concert. Make sure the picture feels the emotion you and/or others are feeling."

By now, Sean has tuned out, fully drawing his heart out. I looked over at Kate who's taking note's of the requirements.

Victoria looked over at Nathan before snarling at him. "This doesn't include weapons in bathrooms, does it?"

Nathan raised his head off the palm of his hand, glaring up at the short haired blonde. I took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling to control the anger that was rising.

"Hey! There's no need for that." David chimed in, pointing his finger over at Victoria.

The room grows silent and tense. Nobody knows what to say nor break the silence. Ms. Yui looks around the room before clapping her hands together, trying to gain everybody's attention back to her.

"The project is due this Friday. Since I didn't give you enough time to work on the homework in class, you can use the rest of the period to work on it. Please, use this time wisely." With that, she walks back to her desk, leaving us to do anything but the late homework.


	6. Raindrops

**Chapter Six**

**Raindrops  
**

* * *

 

"Warren?" I asked in confusion, "Are you still sure about this?" The big geek and I had been driving in the rain for the past thirty minutes. Warren was determined to take me to this movie on the other side of town, even though it was raining out. I'm sure they rescheduled due to the weather. I doubt they would still play it with electric cables everywhere. I'd rather be safe than electrocuted.

"Yes, Max." Warren smiled a bit through the tension. Deep down, he knew it wasn't going to end well. Just as expected, we pulled up to the drive-in. Not one worker or car in site. Driving up to the ticket booth was a huge sign. It basically said that it was closed due to the weather and refunds were available online. Looking over at Warren, he sighed loudly.

"It's fine, we can go and see a regular movie or head back to the dorms." I suggested, trying to make light of the situation. Warren stared down at the wheel, tapping his index finger against it. Was he angry? I've seen him angry before, in the past timeline when he beat Nathan up. It wasn't the same look, thank God. It didn't look like he was annoyed either. He bit his lip, lightly sucking on it, before letting go. It was his thinking look. Right when it clicked, Warren nodded gently and drove forward. The area forgot to lock it's gate, making it an easy access to enter. "Ugh, now we're trespassing."

Warren remained silent until he pulled into a space. I glanced over at him, confused to what he was doing. Reaching into the back seat, Warren grabbed his school bag. We're we going to study in an abandoned parking lot while it's raining? It's not my ideal studying place, but whatever. Before I could say anything, Warren unlocked the doors and jumped out. What the hell was he planning?

In the rear-view mirror, I saw him run up to the ticket booth. He searched around the area for a moment, running his hands against the walls. Curiosity took over me as I jumped out, the cold and harsh rain hitting my skin. It felt like millions of needles stabbing my skin. A shiver ran down my spine as I caught up to him.

"What are you-"

"Help me find a key." Warren cut me off, searching around the door frame. Standing on his tip toes, he reached above the frame and pulled a metal key out. "Well, never-mind." He chuckled. The metal key slipped into the doorknob as Warren unlocked it. With a slight click, he opened the door and walked over to the computers. I'm sure they controlled the lighting, speakers, and projection of the movie. Honestly, I'm not sure how tech stuff works. I only know about camera's and basic phone knowledge. Warren acted as if he worked here. He opened a laptop, that wasn't password protected, and hooked his computer to it. He fiddled around with a few things before turning the projector on.

"Nice work! Now what?" I asked.

Warren turned back towards me, a smile spreading across his lips. "This."

Pressing a button, an upbeat sound began to fill my ears. Warren walked over to the door and opened for us. I slipped back out in the rain with him, walking towards the projector. It just showed a white screen but the speakers did all the work. Warren had hooked up his computer to their programming, being able to stream music. The song he chose was an upbeat electronic and pop song. Warren jogged past me, almost slipping along the way, making his way towards the front of his beat-up car.

The headlights from his car gave him a spotlight, as if he was performing a concert. Water glistened in front and on him as the rain poured down harder, soaking the both of us. The nerd began to move his hips and arms, dancing to the beat of the song. He threw his head back, the dark curls that were once in his face flew behind him, bouncing with every movement. I walked over to him, folding my arms across my chest, smiling at him. He threw his head back down, water splattering in his face, as his beautiful gaped teeth showed. Warren did a final spin before stopping.

We smiled into each-others eyes for a moment, appreciating the moment. For three years, I've been nothing but a mess. I've walked on egg shells for no reason, not accepting the fate of Chloe or myself. Warren had tried to make me back to my old self. The dorky, shy, yet smiley self that he knew. He realized that you can't change anyone nor the past, trying to help me cope with Chloe's death. Kate had offered me comfort too but Warren was always there.

From nightmares that woke me up late at night, calling and crying for him to comfort me, to simple gestures such as a reassuring smile. He's been so patient and loving. Someone broken like me doesn't deserve someone who's so accepting and patient.

I laughed before jumping around, flaring my arms like he did moments before. I felt like a toddler who didn't know how to dance properly. I was completely fine with it, too. So was he. His goofy smile got wider before he joined me. I grabbed a hold of Warren's hand, swaying my arms with his. He took the advantage and twirled me around before pulling me back in. I let go as we continued to dance to the music, not caring if anyone was watching. I felt like we ruled over Arcadia Bay.

As if we ruled the world.

When the song ended, I turned around and faced Warren. He stopped too, pushing his hair back with one of his hands. A soft melody came over the speakers, separating the mood between the craziness a few moments before. The gentle hymn of a guitar filled the atmosphere. A streetlight shined behind Warren, giving him a natural glow. His brown eyes sparkled with the water around us, giving him a new look in his eyes. It was new and different, at least to me.

My mind raced back to the diner three years ago. The rain, the damp clothes, and the whispers that were secretly hushed.

_"Max... what are you-"_

_"For luck."_

I closed my eyes at the memory, smiling to myself. The soft embrace of his arms wrapping around my back, my cold hands touching his cheeks, and the warmth of our lips making contact. It was our only kiss. I knew he liked me back then. I only did it because I thought I'd never saw him again. Over the past three years, I was too blind to notice if he still had feeling for me or not. My heart skipped a beat before feeling like a fluttering butterfly, the bottom of my stomach tossed and turned, and my cheeks grew hot against the iced rain the longer I stared at him.

Maybe I liked Warren back? All the late night calls, sleeping over at his dorm, and going on semi-dates all the time must mean something. Right? Maybe it was all in my head. Maybe it's just the upcoming sickness that I was getting from standing in the pouring rain.

Either way, this all felt perfect and we both knew it.

As Warren stepped closer to me, closing the six-foot-gap between us, I became super nervous. Was he thinking what I was? Did he plan this out? Maybe he could somehow read my mind? So many thoughts ran through my mind, refusing me to focus on anything else. He didn't make any more movements, wanting me to take control of what happens next. So, I did.

I kissed him.

With his smile gone, an expression of seriousness spreading across it. Was it love or lost? Perhaps, a mix of both. Mine formed into a gentle smile. I raised my five-foot-five body onto my tip toes, trying to reach his five-foot-eight height. I wrapped my hands gently on his neck while his went to my waist, resting gently. Still staring deeply into his eyes, I lowered them towards his lips. A slight closed smile had formed as he stared at mine. The only sounds heard was the rain, music, and the sound of our racing hearts.

Being slightly hesitant, my lips brushed his before making impact.

When people describe their first kiss with someone, or anyone in general they like, they describe it as fireworks. It's like the whole world stops and fireworks tingle through your body.

They're completely right.

Upon impact, I felt a tingling feeling move from my lips, cheeks, and down to my heart. It felt as if the lightning that flashed around us struck us, causing the electricity we both felt to become stronger. I've kissed a few other boys in my life but this time it was different. Other times, it was a slight flutter and a little giggle the escaped our lips. This time, with Warren, it was almost magical. He waited desperately for this moment. He craved it.

I could feel every single emotion in the kiss. Love, loss, confusion, lust, and anger. From my anger issues that's built within the past three years, we've had many arguments. Most of which I caused. I remember one time I threw a lamp at him. I couldn't remember exactly what the fight was about, but he was pissed. He's been confused to why I haven't been completely honest with him. I'd sneak around the time travel stories, refusing to let him know the full truth, which made him confused, angry, and sad.

Warren deepened the kiss by bringing me closer and tilting his head further, his nose brushing against my cheek. I turned my head the other way, returning it, while tangling my fingers through his hair. Our lips parted for a few seconds before joining again and again, refusing to be separated. The fingers that gently rested on my waist was now balled into fists, clutching my grey jacket, refusing to let go. Warren leaned forward, trying to somehow get closer, making my back arch slightly. My waist pressed into his as my arms fully wrapped around his neck, kissing his lips repeatedly.

When we finally broke away, we could tell we we're both disappointed. I was the one who pulled away, panting for air as a wide smile spread across my lips. Warren's eyes remained closed for a few moments until he opened them in complete awestruck. When I took a further look at him, I realized he wasn't the same goofy boy from a few years ago. He didn't have the same chubby cheeks and soft brown eyes. His facial structure was more chiseled and shoulders broad and wide. Warren... had aged. I was too focused in my mind to realize everyone changing around me. It was no wonder Brooke and a few other girl's had a tiny crush on him. If I had opened my eyes earlier, I would've too.

I bit my lip as a heat rose to my cheeks, probably turning my entire body red. Warren reached up to move some of the bangs that clung to my forehead. Tucking a strand behind my ear, he reached down and kissed my cheek.

"Let's get back home." He let go of me and began to walk towards the ticket booth, unhooking his laptop, and entering his car.

I stood there in shock, looking at his body sway away from me. I couldn't help but feel as if he was disappointed somehow. I thought he enjoyed it but he could be putting on a show. It was probably the hormones and anxiety that raced through my body. I nodded to myself before entering his car.

The drive back to Blackwell was silent. The radio was turned off, the only music was the sound of the rain and our breathing in a gentle rhythm. What the hell just happened? Was Warren I together now or was it a heat of the moment thing? Why weren't we talking?

Warren pulled up to his parking spot and turned off the car. This would normally be the time we'd talk for an hour straight, criticizing the movie we watched or talk about life. But... we stayed silent. Neither of us moved and didn't dare to talk. Warren still had his seat belt on, doors locked, and hand resting gently on the wheel. I was the one who broke the silence.

"Thank you." I looked over, smiling gently at him. He nodded silently, not meeting my gaze. Was he pissed? Shit, I fucked everything up! Our friendship is going to ruined because of me. Everywhere I go, I create a trail of misery. He bit his lip, lightly sucked it, and let it go. He was thinking. I closed my eyes and sighed, "I'm really sorry."

"For what?" He asked.

"For what happened earlier." I changed my tone, trying to make it clear to what I was referring too. He nodded as a smirk poked from the corner of his lips. Suddenly, he unbuckled himself and shifted his body towards me. His hands went to my cheeks as he pulled me close to him, his eyes closing. My breath hitched before I closed my eyes. Our lips met once more.

"Don't ever be sorry, Max."


	7. Ice

**Chapter Seven**

**Ice  
**

* * *

 

"How about this?" I was pulled out of my daydream when Kate shoved her phone into my face. On the screen was a picture she took of a Halloween costume. The picture showed some model posing. She wore a white sparkly dress that went down to her ankles with lace sleeves, a white pair of heels, and a fluffy halo headband. She also carried a plastic toy harp. Well, the costume was either an angel or a female cupid. "Do you think it'll look good?"

Kate was standing next to my locker as I shoved extra books inside of it. When I was done, I exchanged them with a book about photography. I slipped it inside my bag, closed my locker, and adjusted the strap that carved into my shoulder.

"I think it really suits you. Classy and cute!" I beamed brightly at her, she smiled back before pocketing it her phone.

"What about you? Anything in mind if you're going?"

"I'm not sure yet." I turned and began walking down the hall with her, "I was thinking something simple, like a black cat."

"Mysterious, just like you. I like it!" Kate beamed before tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. The sound of her black flats skid across the tiled floor, creating a distant echo. "Do you know if Warren is going yet?"

"We haven't talked about it." In fact, we haven't talked much at all. Ever since last night, he hadn't messaged me. I hadn't seen him in the halls either. Maybe he hated me? Then again, he confirmed that he wasn't. I shrugged my shoulders, keeping my gaze at the floor, refusing to look up. Kate noticed how distant I was but didn't dare to mention anything. With me, it could've meant many things. From Chloe's death to what happened last night, I was like teen angst book. Just tragedy after tragedy, refusing to stop.

"Well," Kate tries to restore her bubbly voice back, "either way, I hope to see you both."

"I'll go with you, no matter what." After the last Vortex Party she went to, I'm surprised she's going again. I refuse to let her go alone. Even though Nathan drugged her, and I doubt he's allowed at the party, I don't want something similar to happen. Kate didn't deserve the hate she received, the drugs slipped into her system, and the sickening photo-shoot. I closed my eyes as I tried to erase the images of her passed out body, laying on a white background, looking almost lifeless. Kate said she's forgiven Nathan and Jefferson after almost three years. I'm still trying to cope with the facts.

Walking into Ms. Yui's room, I nodded at David. He flashed me a forced smile, nodding back, turning his attention back to the room. Nathan's eyes were glued to the floor, watching the several shoes shuffle past him. The laughter of Victoria vanished as she walked into the room, causing the already heavy room to become suffocating. Sean walked in behind her, headphones over his ears, blocking out the world. It was clear that he had no clue what'd happen to Arcadia. Maybe it was better this way.

"Max," Kate began, "what happened to your knuckles?"

What?

Looking down, I realized that my hands were still healing. I normally hid them under my jacket. But ever since my jacket got stained with my own blood, I had to ditch it. The yellow, purple, and blue's made it's public debut. I slid my hands off the table as I tried to bury them in my lap. Kate noticed and shifted her entire body towards me, refusing to let it slide.

"It's nothing."

"It's clearly something!" Her voice was stern, "You're not... you're not acting up again. Are you?"

After I got angry at Warren, trying to hurt him, he called down the hall for Kate. She ran in right as Warren tackled me to the floor, hugging me. I sobbed and screamed in his arms, refusing the comfort at first. After a while, I gave in and apologized. At that moment, Kate wrapped her arms around us, emerging the three of us in a group hug. She's seen me at my worst and here she is, afraid of it coming back.

I lied, "No, I just tripped. Fell down the stairs and landed on my knuckles."

She didn't believe me. I wouldn't believe anything I'd say either.

Nathan jumps up, his chair skidding across the room. Everyone jumps as we're startled, eyeing Nathan and David. David's eyebrows raise and placed both hands on his belt, ready to protect himself and us. Instead of flipping out, Nathan raises his head slowly. He turns it slowly, his sad gaze looking over at me. His sad blue eyes locked into mine, tears forming. A lump in my throat forms as I'm afraid of what's to happen next.

Preparing for the worst, I was surprised nothing came. Instead, Nathan turns and walks out of Ms. Yui's door. David chases after him, yelling him to stop and tell where he's going. Nathan didn't respond, storming down the hall, echoes of David's running footsteps filling our ears.

Ms. Yui clears her throat, "Happy Thursday!"

Nobody responds.

"Today, I feel like we could take a short field trip... to the courtyard!" She beamed, "I know, it's not exciting. But, hopefully it'll inspire a few pictures. One which could end up in your project."

* * *

The statue of the founder of Blackwell stares down at me, taunting me of how rich he probably was. I scrunched my nose at it, turning away, facing where the dormitories are. Maybe three people were actually taking photos while the rest slacked off, talking to each other. On a picnic table, a little blue bird lands near Kate. The girl realizes and gasps at the sight, smiling widely. Bending into a crouching position, she angles her camera slightly upwards. She waits a few minutes as her camera re-focused, blurring the image at first before coming clear. With that, she takes a few photos of the bird. The blue feathered friend is standing at an angle too, trying to show it's good side off. Kate smiles as she slightly shifts, getting more shots.

"Whatcha looking at?" Sean whispers into my ear. I jump as a gasp escapes my lips, hitting his arm. "Ouch! Damn, I didn't mean to scare you that badly."

"Sorry," my cheeks flushed, "I just hate surprises."

"No shit, Sherlock." He muttered as he held his arm. Sean rubbed the tender spot, trying to massage it away. "Get any decent shots?"

"Not really, after you've seen the same stuff a thousand times, it gets boring."

"Tell me about it." He chuckles, probably remembering his old home town. They were both pretty similar, it's just Arcadia is a bit smaller. He ruffles a hand through his hair, some of dark brown hair fell in front of his eyes. "I haven't found much either. She should've taken us out in the woods or something, many more opportunities out their."

"Like running away?" Wait, did I really say that out-loud? Shit! Sean's turned his head towards me, a frown forming along his lips. His brows knitted together before his face relaxed, trying to not let the comment get to him. I scratched the back of my neck nervously and sighed. "I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine."

Silence fell on us. I scratched my foot against the cement pavement, refusing to look into his eyes. Sean nods before slowly walking away, trying to be interested in a tree that's near the fountain. Once again, Max Caulfield and her big mouth scored again. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I sighed to myself. Great, he's never going to talk to me again.

The main doors to the building opened behind me. They creaked due to the rusted metal that desperately needed to be replaced. Turning around, I saw Nathan coming down the main stairs... making his way towards me. Everyone stopped taking photos and talking, almost paralyzed in fear and curiosity as they watched the young criminal. A bead of sweat dripped down my forehead as he stopped in front of me, a few feet away. David remains standing near the staircase, watching silently from afar.

"Here." From behind his back, Nathan pulled out something square and blue. It's laying limply in his hand. "Take it, before it's cooled off."

"What-?"

"Your hands." He cuts me off, "Ice normally helps me."

We stand in silence for a few seconds, wondering what to do. Kate has her arms close to her body, trying to make herself become smaller. Even though she's supposedly forgiven Nathan, it doesn't mean she doesn't get uncomfortable. Nathan bit his chapped bottom lip before looking at my hands. His soft and cold fingertips touched my wrist as he raised my busted knuckle, gently putting the ice pack onto the bruised skin. I winced in pain and from the cold, gritting my teeth together. Nathan grabs my other hand and placed it on top of the pack, trying to keep it from slipping from the ground.

"Tha-" Before I could finish, he had walked away. Nathan picked up his camera and walking over to the swimming building, trying to search around for something to photograph.


	8. The Jury Made Their Decision

**Chapter Eight**

**The Jury Made Their Decision  
**

* * *

 

Tears streamed down the punk's face. Her tears were clear before coming a light pink, dark blood-red, and black. Her large blue eyes that matched her hair became black. The tears spilled down her face as her lip trembled lightly. Her curdling screams rang throughout the room even though the girl's mouth was closed. Suddenly, a drop of blood began to spill from her forehead.

The drop became a line until the hole got bigger, taking up most of her head. I could see her muscles, skull, and organs. It was as if she was a candle being burned, her body becoming the melting wax. The screams became louder, almost deafening, begging to be noticed. Chloe's skin and muscles stuck to her skeleton as she continued to burn. Suddenly, the flames got to the bone and caused her to smoke, slowly turning into ash.

The black room she was in turned grey. But, we were somewhere. We were in something. Looking around, I noticed we were in the tornado. Around me, I saw people that attended Blackwell. Victoria, Nathan, Principal Well's, and even Warren. Tears sprung into my eyes as I reached out, trying to save them, only to see the life being taken from their eyes.

"I didn't mean to hurt Kate or Rachel!" Nathan sobs through his blue and lifeless lips. Kate flew past him, arms spread out, as if she was flying. She was jumping to her death. Rachel's decayed corpse came by too, half of her face rotted. The smell of death and rain filled my nostrils, trying to suffocate me. I coughed and coughed, covering my mouth and nose with the palms of my hands. Chloe remained still, half of her body becoming dust. Tears rolled further down my face as I coughed harder, the air smelling more and becoming heavy.

Suddenly, I felt something itching my throat. Removing my hands, I began to cough harder, trying to upchuck whatever was stuck in my throat. It wasn't coming out. I opened my mouth and stuck my fingers inside, searching down my throat before gagging. I could feel something! Tears sprung into my eyes, completely blurring my vision, blocking Chloe's burning body from my view. I reached further, trying to ignore the feeling of wanting to gag.

What I saw, horrified me more than anything else.

Blood began to pour from my mouth and onto my hand. My eyes widened in shock as I pulled the object out further, seeing the tip of the object. I closed my eyes and yanked, not wanting to go through anymore torture. The wave of pain was massive! The object burned my throat and scrapped the roof of my gums. Blood splattered onto Chloe's body, which was now half gone.

In my hands, I saw a needle.

Realization hit as I knew exactly where it came from. My trembling hands dropped it, seeing it fly around the tornado, becoming lost. No! What type of bullshit was this?! I looked back at Chloe who had grown back. She looked normal. She wasn't half gone, burning, rotting, or bleeding. Chloe looked like Chloe. A smile spread across my face as I welcomed my old best friend.

Just when I thought things were becoming normal, she shakes her head. My smile dims as she shakes her head viciously, holding onto the sides. She's crying again and my heart shattered into millions of pieces.

"Chloe-" I had so many questions to ask. Where were we? What's happening? Why was she just on fire and now fine? But, she cut me off.

"Max, he's back!" She shouts as tears rolled down her reddened cheeks, "You have to stop him!"

"Stop who?"

Chloe remains silent as her fists clenched to her sides. It was the same cry she had when William died. The same agony sob that she tried to hold together, but refused to be hidden. I stepped towards her, extending my arms, wanting a hug. Instead, I fell downwards into the tornado. I saw Chloe remaining still, watching me fall. She went from a few feet away to several as I continued to fall... and fall... and fall.

* * *

I shot up in my bed, breathing heavy as a few tears rolled down my face. It was just a fucked dream. The moon shined into my dorm room, giving me a spotlight, as my clothes clung onto my sweaty body. She was really gone... I couldn't save her. I brought my knees up to my chin, my arms wrapping around them, as I squeezed my eyes shut. I looked like a little girl trying to get rid of a monster by squeezing her eyes shut, trying to somehow get rid of it.

It just so happened the monster lives in my head.

I ran my hands through my hair, gently pulling the sides. Flashbacks of my nightmare came back, burning into my mind's eye. My tears came faster and my hands pulled tighter, my scalp screaming for me to stop. I couldn't. I couldn't shake the thought of my best friend dying because of me. I couldn't shake the thought of Nathan's trembling hand pulling the trigger, seeing the life escape her eyes, as her body fell onto the bathroom floor. I can't shake the feeling that she had no idea that I came back. The last thing she remembered was me abandoning her like Rachel did.

She never knew the truth about Rachel, either.

I wiped my face with my shaky fingers, trying to put my brave face back on. I leaned towards my left, grabbing my phone off the nightstand. The light filled the room as I checked the time. Three in the fucking morning, as always. I took a deep sigh, trying to recollect myself. Standing up, I slipped my grey shorts on. The soft cotton fabric hugged my body, giving me some sort of comfort. Would Warren minded if I went to his dorm? He hasn't spoken to me since the night before. He didn't seem upset but things are sure awkward.

That's how I found myself in front of his door five minutes later.

He normally left the door unlocked for me in case of these situations. I took my trembling hand and placed it on the cold metal, gently twisting the knob. Thank god it was Friday. Well, technically Saturday morning. He would kill me if I did this on weekdays. Whenever I would have a bad day, he would force me to stay with him. Normally, my nightmares wouldn't be so intense when I was with him.

When I'm alone, it's a completely different story.

The only light he had on was his lamp on his desk, showing off his fantasy action figures. The light yellow glow bounced onto his sleeping face. His face was soft and relaxed, looking angelic. I smiled and sat down on the opposite side, brushing a strand of his hair away. He must be a light sleeper because his eyelids slowly fluttered open, his brown orbs looking into my teary blue eyes.

"Max?" He grunted and slowly raised up, "What happened? Another nightmare?"

"Yeah." I whispered, rubbing my arm nervously. At least he's not yelling for me to get out, right? Warren raised up, removing the covers from his body. "I'm sorry."

"No!" He jabs his finger into my face, suddenly becoming more awake than I was. "What did I say the night before. Huh?"

He stared into my eyes, a slight rage burning into them. Warren deeply cares about me. I took my gaze to the floor and nodded slowly. He nods back before walking over to his mini refrigerator. Warren pulled out two cokes. They're our go-to drink on nights like these. He opened his drink and took a long sip, trying to become awake. I keep mine closed and pressed to my knuckles which still hurt.

"So," he began, "do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure."

Warren presses his lips to the can and takes another drink. He waits patiently, waiting for me to make up my mind. With a deep sigh, I tell him everything. From the tornado, Chloe's burning, Nathan sobbing, and falling into the pit of the tornado. Of course, I couldn't give him full details of why I dreamt of it. The tornado was obviously from my old timeline. Warren rubs his eyes and listened until the end.

"That... seems hard." He bit his lip before turning to me, "From all of the old nightmares you've had, that one seems the most graphic. Do you think it's because her anniversary just passed?"

"Probably." I shrugged, "But what about the person she referenced? Who is coming back?"

"Nathan?"

"Yeah, maybe. But he's already here. She said someone is coming back, as if they left and decided to move back." Warren held his head, trying to wrap his mind around everything. I placed the can on his nightstand, deciding not to drink from it. Warren's gaze went from his lap to my face, smiling gently at me.

"Everything's fine, I'm still here." He placed my hand on my back, rubbing his fingers on my shirt reassuringly. I smiled back at him, staring deeply into his dark brown eyes. He arched his back before leaning over to me, pressing his lips gently to mine. I sat stunned, not knowing how to respond. Warren pulled away as he noticed me not kissing him back. "You okay?"

"I thought you were pissed at me."

"No," he chuckles, "I know I kinda ignored you today. I was just thinking about everything. How... everything felt. I honestly didn't know how to process anything!"

"What's your verdict?" I smirked as he smiled.

"The jury has decided that I liked it." He leaned forward, "A lot."

Our lips crashed once again, both of us kissing back. Warren's right hand met my cheek as he stroked his thumb against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I placed my hand onto his neck before deepening the kiss, our lips fitting perfectly with each other. Warren was super gentle with me as if I was a fragile doll. I placed my leg onto his lap, wrapping my foot around his waist. I pressed it against his lower back, wanting him to come closer. Warren took the hint as he smiled into our kiss before obeying, leaning forward until I fell back against his pillows.

The nerd pulled away and gazed lovingly into my eyes, pushing the hair away from my eyes.

"Does thing mean we're a thing?"

"Do you want to be a thing?"

I placed my hand on my chin, pretending to think about the situation hard. Warren placed his elbow on the bed, using his palm to support his chin. His eyes twinkled underneath the lamp and moonlight. I saw the love in his eyes. How long had I've seen that expression yet looked past it? I always brushed off anyone saying Warren liking me. How could I ever deny him? How did I look over the signs in the past?

Warren taps his index finger on his cheek, waiting impatiently, his smile widening.

"The jury has made their decision." I raised up on my elbows. He raised up on his, smiling sweetly at me. I waited a few seconds, loving how he grew impatiently. "They agree."

Warren attacked me! He raised up on his knees and flopped onto my body. My elbows gave out from the amount of weight that fell onto me. Warren's arm wrapped around my waist as he held me close to him. His lips kissed all over my face and cheeks, causing me to burst out in a series of giggles. He enjoyed my laugh as he continued, wanting me to enjoy the moment more.

"Holy shit," He flopped his head down onto his pillow, "I've wished and waited forever for this moment."

"Well, your wish has been granted." I brushed the hair from his eyes. The lamp shined on his lightly tanned skin, giving him a golden glow. Our eyelids became heavy and I let out a long yawn. Warren yawned back, before he kissed my forehead. A thousand butterflys fluttered in my heart as my cheeks grew red. "Goodnight, my white knight."

Warren smiled, "Goodnight, Max."


	9. He's Coming

**Chapter Nine**

**He's Coming  
**

* * *

 

"Max!" Someone is screaming my name. The voice is worried and shaky, as if they're crying. They scream my name again, their voice becoming clearer. All I could see was black. Nothing but darkness surrounded me as I searched for the voice. "Max, he's close!"

I raised my head up fast, looking around the room. Everyone was quietly working in Ms. Yui's room. Victoria was on her tablet, probably editing a photo of herself. Sean had his headphones plugged in, sketching in his notepad. Kate had brought her laptop, editing the photo she was submitting for the assignment. Everyone else was like me, asleep or very close. Kate looked over at me, startled from me jumping in my seat.

"You okay?" She asked before resting a gentle hand onto my shoulder.

"Yeah, just a bad dream." I wiped the droll from my cheek and focused my attention towards the front of the room. Ms. Yui was at her desk, looking over some papers, as David sat next to her. He had his blue security hat over his face, arms across his chest, as he was also getting a few minutes of extra sleep. Nathan sat in his chair, camera in hand, biting his lip. I'm sure it was weird for him to be holding one of those without Jefferson advising him what to do.

In fact, I know that was his exact thoughts.

His hands trembled and sweat dripped down his forehead. Jefferson burned it into his memory to only capture crazy shit. He probably wasn't into photography that much. He had no idea what to do without someone guiding him. I grabbed my bag and camera, heading out to the main courtyard. Maybe I could get some type of inspiration? At least clear my head from whatever was haunting my dreams.

I sat down at a picnic table and rested my bag behind me. I searched around before finding my yellow Polaroid camera, resting it on the splintering wood. Suddenly, the main doors creaked open and footsteps approached me. A pair of low rising heels clicked and scraped across the cement pavement, walking fast in my direction. I turned around, expecting either Kate, Warren, or even Sean.

Wrong.

Nathan had his camera wrapped around his neck, which lightly bounced off his white sweater. His black distressed jeans barely clung to his body with each step he took. His pale skin made his blue eyes sparkle as his blonde hair curled in front of his forehead. I swallowed the lump in my throat before gripping my camera harder. He stopped about ten feet away from me, just staring into my eyes.

He cleared his throat, "See anything interesting?"

I shook my head.

Nathan bit his lip before making his way over to me. He stepped into the seat before swinging his other leg under, sitting across from me. His hands were calm now, which I haven't seen before. Either they trembled or were balled into fists. Seeing his unbruised knuckles made me feel uneasy. This wasn't normal... it was so strange.

"Listen," he began, "I know you don't want to talk about it... but I have too. I need to." I remained quiet as my eyes followed the carvings on the wood, "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I swear, I truly didn't. I never meant to hurt Kate, Rachel... or even Chloe."

Tears sprung into my eyes but I held them back. His gaze went towards the large fountain to our right.

"He used me, Max. I just wanted a father, okay? I wasn't in a good headspace and he knew, using it against me. I wanted to be just like him and it went too far. Words can't describe how fucking sorry I am." Nathan's voice crack made the lump larger in my throat. I raised my head at the same moment he turned towards me. A waterfall ran down his face, refusing to be stopped. His bottom lip quivered as his eyes turned red as they burned. He must've realized he was crying too. Nathan raised both hands up to his face and wiped his eyes, smearing the tears into his face, as a shaky gasp comes out. "I was so fucked up, I couldn't tell what was real and fake. In that room with her, the sound... fuck! The fucking sound, I must've woken up. I saw everything I ever did and realized how much of a fuck up I was."

I reached out to grab his arm but decided against it. This was his time to grieve and vent. I had been for years and this was his chance to let me know everything.

He continued, "When I realized who she really was, I lost it. I never knew about her dad, her mom, David being her step-father, and how you two were. I didn't only hurt those innocent fucking girls, but everyone around them! It's all because of  _him_!" His tears of sadness turned into anger as he remembered Jefferson. "That fucker blamed everything on me! Rachel's death, Kate being drugged, everything! They send me to a mental hospital and then juvi. I was beat worse than what he and my father combined."

My stomach twisted and turned as I let out a shaky breath. I opened my mouth to respond, but I just couldn't. What was their to say? Before I could respond, David storms out. He scans around the area before spotting us, running over at full speed. He wasn't very happy.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" He shouts, hand on his belt. Nathan and I jumped up from the bench, nearing tripping over the wood. "Raise you're fucking hands!"

"David, he didn't do-"

"Hands behind your head!" Nathan's hands went from his sides before coming up behind his head. He shut his eyes as he locked his fingers together. David reached for the taser on his belt before kicking Nathan behind his knees. The disturbed teen grunted before meeting the ground, his cheek scraping against the blades of grass. Nathan fell back on his knees before sitting on them, looking up at David, innocence in his eyes. David ignored his gaze before he bent down, patting all of Nathan's pockets and sticking his hands inside. He didn't find anything. David nodded with a sigh of relief, "All clear. You okay, Max?"

"I'm fine. Nathan wanted to get some fresh air but didn't want to disturb you."

Well, I attempted to save Nathan's ass. David saw right through my lie as he pocketed the electrifying device.

"Bullshit! It doesn't matter what he wants. Your safety is all that matters."

Nathan nodded as he kept his gaze to the ground, refusing to look David in his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

I couldn't tell if his apology was directed towards me or David. But, next thing I knew, David shoved Nathan backwards. The boy stumbled on his feet, trying to regain his balance. David stepped towards him which caused Nathan to walk backwards, hands up, trying to defend himself.

"You're fucking sorry?" David shouted, "Tell that to my wife and her dead child! How many more people will you hurt? Fuckin' answer me!" Nathan eyes whelmed up with tears as he bumped into the table. David's red face had beads of sweat as his finger poked Nathan in his chest.

"Alright, Mr. Madsen." We all turned around to see Principal Wells standing across the street. He had a bag from Two Whales in one hand while the other had a mug with the Blackwell logo. "I'll take it from here, thank you."

Nathan quickly walked away from us. He was practically running towards Well's who tried to keep a smug face. Ever since Nathan shot Chloe, everyone has either treated Nathan like shit or he's some type of serial killer who was ready to strike. I don't blame them, really. If I was just a normal student or staff member, I'd probably be the same way. But since I knew more about Nathan's history, I knew he wasn't a bad guy. Yes, he's done bad things. He mainly did those things while he was severely sick and manipulated, unable to control himself.

Nathan and Principal Wells walked into the main building again. The rickety door creaked slowly behind him before it bounced against the door frame, completely shutting. David turned towards me and rubbed his face with a sigh of either defeat or relief.

"I fuckin' hate this shit." I nodded and kept my gaze towards the ground, "You'd think they'd hire some other prick to baby sit him. Not the same dude who walked in the guy killing his-"

He trailed off when he noticed how quiet I was. He removed his hat and ruffled his short hair before sliding the cap back on. I rubbed my arm nervously as I avoided his gaze.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm here." I whispered before looking up towards him, forcing a smile.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No." I shook my head and tucked a strand behind my ear, "He actually apologized for what happened."

David let out a breathless laugh before he placed his hands on his hips, "Fucker did the same to me! He thinks one simple apology will automatically fix everything? He took my wife's daughter away, for Christ's sake! He took away your best friend! He and his daddy can't just slap a band-aid on everything and move on!" I looked towards my left to avoid his gaze once again. I could tell he was pissed, as he had every right to be. I just didn't know why I had to be the one to hear it all. My eyes followed a little bird that landed on fence, turning it's head quickly in search of food. David noticed me quiet again and sighed, "Shit! I'm so sorry, Max."

"It's fine," I shrugged, "you have every right to be upset."

He opened his mouth, ready to spit more fire into his flame, but decided against it. David simply nodded and put a hand on my upper back. "Let's get you back to class."

* * *

"Van Gogh was a genius! How could you hate his work?" Sean shoved a sandwich into his mouth before wiping the crumbs away.

"I don't hate his work! I just think that his work is pretty simple, unlike someone such as Leonardo da Vinci." Kate sat in front of him, taking a sip of her water before biting into her red apple. "Van Gogh's brush strokes are more patchy and wavy while Vinci's is much smoother. His blending of colors are so beautiful that you can barely tell. It's almost as if he took an actual photograph instead of painting."

"True, but-!"

I tuned the rest of their conversation out. We were sitting right outside the dorms. Kate and Sean sat on a bench while I sat on the grass in front of them. I hadn't touched anything from my lunch. My sandwich was slowly becoming soggy and water battle became less cold by each passing second. I didn't care about anything around me. My words kept traveling back to Nathan's voicemail in the alternate timeline.

_"I never meant to hurt Kate or Rachel! I never meant to hurt anybody. Everybody just... used me!"_

I closed my eyes against the painful the memory. Even seconds before death, Nathan couldn't help someone. Behind his pent up anger, he just wanted to help someone. Anyone. But his fate was cut short from Jefferson. I could picture everything. Once Warren kicked his stomach a few times roughly, Nathan was limping and clutching his side. I knew he didn't have enough strength to defend himself, even if I did stop Warren.

Nathan's silent cries as he tried to help himself. The bruising on his ribs becoming worse no matter what he did. Him pacing back and forth while sending me the voice message, knowing something bad was going to happen. When he hung up, I'm sure Jefferson walked in. His strong cold hands wrapping around Nathan's neck, strangling the disturbed teen.

The gasps for help.

The tears rolling down his face.

The eyes rolling in the back of his head as his last breath escaped his lips.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my theory came into my mind's eyes. I could see every single detail, as if I was their when the scene took place. I shook my head and opened my eyes, trying to escape the daydream. When I opened them, Kate and Sean were still chatting up a storm. Their argument got more intense as Kate shifted her body towards the Hispanic boy, their voices raising in a higher pitch.

"That's not what I meant!" Kate giggled.

"Bullshit! You basically said that Starry Night is the worst painting of his. It's iconic!"

"I said I don't get why it's so popular!"

"Which is pretty talk for 'it's trash.'" Kate threw her apple core at Sean. He raised his arms in defense while the remaining of the apple bounced off his shoulder and onto the cement pavement. Sean bent down and scooped up the garbage, putting it into his brown bag, and placed the bag near his side. From the corner of my eye, a figure rounded the corner from the boys dorm. I raised my head to fully view the figure. Sean and Kate followed my gaze by looking over their shoulder.

It was Warren.

I smiled warmly at him while he smirked back at me, giving me a gentle wave. Warren continued to cut across the courtyard, making his way towards our little group. Kate smiled and waved at him. Sean just turned away, probably because he doesn't know Warren as well. The young man's broad shoulders bounced with his swinging hips as he tightened the bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, guys!" Warren beamed before sitting next to me. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. The little nerves I had when I first saw him erupted! They were first planed inside of my stomach before moving up towards my chest, making their resting place in my cheeks. They beamed bright as Kate's finished apple.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something?" Kate gestured between the both of us.

"We're kinda a thing now." I scratched the back of my neck nervously, focusing my attention on Warren's shoes. Kate gasped before jumping up, tackling me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she fell to her knees, pushing my body back into the ground. The christian girl squealed in excitement as she rocked me back and forth. I felt like I was a baby who had learned to walk. Kate acted like my actual mother did when I won some spelling contest. Apparently I won a trophy and stuff too, but my parents have it somewhere in Seattle.

"Wait! How, where, and when?" The blonde sat on her knees excitedly.

"Kiss in the rain, drive-in, that night." Warren answered with a sly smirk on his face. That bastard! That was his plan all along! Kate squealed once again as she wrapped her arms around Warren's neck, almost dragging him towards the ground too. He chuckled before wrapping his free arm around her waist, embracing her back.

"I'm so happy for you both! May Christ bless you with a happy relationship."

"Thanks." I chuckled as I pulled a loose strand on my worn-out denim jeans. I'll be honest, I've only had a few boyfriends. This included Sean, too. I was super inexperienced in all the ways possible, so I had no idea how Warren and I were going to last. What do I say and do? Do we continue being friends with kisses here and there? Or do we make-out every second like Dana and Trevor? With Sean, we went along like everything was normal but kissed sometimes. We maybe dated for a total of three months before I moved back to Arcadia. Next thing I knew, he was on the run with his brother.

Speaking of Sean, he was awfully quiet. I raised my gaze to see him silently sipping his drink, refusing to meet my gaze. Was he hurt? It's been years since we've dated, let alone had full conversations with each other. The last time I saw him, it was at his house. It was the day I was leaving. It was him, me, and another friend of his, Lyla. Lyla was pretty cool. She reminded me a lot of Chloe, just a bit more chill. She'd skate and would always want to throw parties. She'd always have your back and treated you like family, no matter what. Lyla had just hugged me goodbye with tears in her eyes. She walked away to comfort Sean's little brother, Daniel. Daniel was super sweet and adored Lyla and I.

In fact, I think that little turd had a crush on the both of us. Sean had remained quiet before giving me a hug. He was never good with goodbyes. I would always wave whenever I left him and he'd just silently nod, refusing to do anything back. This day was no different from the rest. No words nor stolen kisses were exchanged, just a simple hug.

Just like now, he refused to look me in the eyes.

Warren grabbed my hand and gave it a light squeeze. I smiled, snapping out of another daydream, and squeezed it back. Kate smiled at the both of us before standing up, brushing her skirt off, and sitting back on the bench.

"So, I assume you two love birds will be attending the Halloween party?"

"Shit!" I gasped, "I almost forgot! It's tomorrow night, right?"

"Last time I checked, yeah!"

"What are you going as?" I asked Warren who had bit into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich he had made hours before. He chewed in silence before swallowed, continuing to think. Finally, he shrugged.

"Probably the classic, a vampire or some shit."

"Exciting!" Kate was so damn happy. I haven't seen her this excited in such a while. She was always the type to be happy when others were happy. If I was having a good day, she was too. It was sweet at how much she cared for all of us. "What about you, Sean?"

When we looked towards where the boy was sitting, he was gone. The three of us looked at each other in shock, wondering how long he'd been gone. I shifted my eyes across the area but couldn't find him. I saw Zach passing a football to another member of the team, Alyssa working on her laptop, and Justin secretly smoking behind the Tobanga. There was no sign of the skater who had a huge passion of art anywhere.

"I'll be back." I excused myself, leaving my stuff behind, and jogged across the area. Warren and Kate looked more confused as they watched me enter the boys dormitories.


	10. The Wolf's Truth

**Chapter Ten**

**The Wolf's Truth  
**

* * *

 

"Sean!" I shout as I jogged down the hall. I saw the boy open his door before closing it behind him. I picked up my pace before knocking lightly on the door. The slate next to his door was a drawing of two wolves. One was much larger than the other, acting as a protector, while a smaller one followed behind it. It was such a quick sketch but you could tell he put some thought into it. I turned my gaze away before knocking once more. "Please, open up! It's Max."

The door creaked open lightly.

I heard footsteps walking away before a bed creaked lightly. I placed my hand on the wood and pushed lightly, entering the room. Sean's room was very similar to the one back in Beaver Creek. He had his drawings all over the wall, a red bean bag, and photos of friends. Above his desk was a signed skateboard he had while next to it was his own he used. The old board was covered in dirty clothes. A few trophy's for track hung around the room too. His assigned bed was completely disorganized. His pillows were lumpy and his dark blue blanket was twisted around like a pretzel.

"What do you want?" His tone sounded more angry and hurt than he meant. He bit his lip as his leg bounced gently.

"Why did you run off?"

"Because."

"Because, why?" I leaned against his dresser which held a television on top. On the floor was his PlayBox and several games. If him and Warren became friends, they would've crushed it at Mortal Hot Dawg! I could see the arguments and broken thumbs now. I smiled at the thought before raising my head. Sean sighed and met my gaze, throwing his hands up in annoyance. He threw them back down and rolled his eyes.

"I-I-I wasn't expecting that." He stuttered while shrugging, "I had flashbacks of all the times we hung out and kissed. I guess it made me jealous?"

"I understand." I smiled and placed my hands on the dresser behind me, leaning further against the wooden shelves. "You still have feelings. I would be lying if I said I didn't."

Sean's eyes widened as a crooked smile spread across his face, "You do?"

"I've always been into the nerds and skater guys." I gestured to the history books near his desk, "It seems you're a dork about history along with art. You skate, clearly. But I'm with Warren now. I'm hoping we could start over and become friends again."

"Yeah," he smiled, "I would like that. Warren seems pretty cool, he treats you right."

I nodded, agreeing with him. Sean had a secret temper that would come out randomly. He was similar to a tea pot. A lot of shit would build up and he would try and hold it down, until he overflowed and lost his cool. He's always been the shy, quiet, yet sarcastic type. I raised off the dresser and waved, about to leave. But he caught my wrist, gripping it tightly. My eyes widened as I was in shock before raising one of my eyebrows.

"What's up?"

He remained silent. Taking off his red beanie, he ruffled the hair that fell in front of his face. Waves gently brushed past his thick brows which knitted together. He was lost in thought, trying to make a decision. Sean dropped my hand and patted the spot next to his bed.

"I need to tell you something... I can't have you get upset." I didn't respond. My heart dropped, worried about what was to come. My paranoid braid ran all over the endless opportunities. He was in a gang, wasn't he?! That's why he ran away because the gang or some agency was after him. No Max, that's fucking stupid! He would still be running by now, right? I tried to calm my racing mind as we sat in silence. He opened his lips partly before closing them. Sean had no idea how to start explaining himself. He shook his head as his knuckles turned white against his tan skin, gripping the red fabric in his hand.

"I'm still you're friend. I've always have been and will." I reassured him by putting a caring hand on his shoulder, hoping to release some tension. It must've worked. His shoulders relaxed as he exhaled deeply through his nose.

"I don't know how to start this. I don't know what to fucking say so I'm just gonna say it." He tossed the beanie towards the red bean chair. It hit but the leather made it slip to the floor, joining the messy arrangement of games and clothes. "Right after you left, some serious shit happened. I thought life was going decent. I was still upset you left but Lyla got me interested in another chick. Around Halloween, I was supposed to finally talk to her and probably... shit, maybe take things to a different level?" His cheeks flushed as he explained himself. I smirked and rubbed his shoulder.

Sean continued; "But that fucking day, a neighbor got upset at Daniel. I pushed him as he made racial slurs and threatened my little brother. Someone across the street called the cops. My dad walked out and..."

His voice cracked as tears began to run down his face. My stomach did a huge knot in my stomach as I realized what he meant. Sean's hands unclenched as they moved to his eyes, blocking them from my view, sobbing hard. I've heard several people cry. My mother, Kate, Nathan, and even Victoria. But nothing compared to Sean's cry. It was a cry of misery. His entire world was flipped in seconds, forcing him to grow up fast. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as I held him, gently rocking him like a child. His cries turned into a series of angry groans. He covered his face with one hand as the other met one of mine, gripping it tightly, the tears absorbing into my skin.

"It wasn't your fault." I whispered into his ear.

"I shouldn't of ignored him! Both of them!" His breath was shaky, "I was such a dick to the both of them." I rested my head on his shoulder as I continued to comfort him. Tears fell further as he heaved heavily, not being able to control his breathing. A lump in my throat formed as I held back my own tears, saddened to see him in so much pain. "I ran with Daniel. We we're supposed to go to Mexico, my dad had a plot of land their. But... Daniel... he..." My grip loosened on his shoulders as I looked back at him.

No, that's not possible. He didn't fucking die.

"Another damn officer! Daniel did...  _something_... and the officer got scared." He paused, thinking hard and shaking his head. I covered my mouth with my hand, tears forming in my eyes. Who would shoot a kid? Sean sobbed harder at the memory. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a scream, and held the side of his head. Tears streamed down my face as I saw a small raccoon jacket on Sean's door. It was way too small for him and the perfect size for the little boy. I grabbed it and passed it towards Sean.

I grabbed one of his hands that gripped his hair, placing the brown fabric into his hands. Sean opened his eyes and closed them again, seeing the jacket. He held it up to his chin and took a deep breath, inhaling what scent was left of the little boy. I wrapped my arms around him once again as he held the jacket closer.

"It smells like choco-crisps." I mentioned. Sean's cries of sadness and anger turned into laughter. His shoulders bounced as a smile spread across his face. I smiled and kissed his cheek before wiping the tears from his face.

"Yeah, that dork loved them. Didn't he?"

"That's all he ever ate!" Sean laughed again and took another whiff of the jacket. His laughter became louder as he realized how right I was. The smell of chocolate and caramel filled our nostrils as we scanned the worn-out jacket. "God, I miss him."

"He misses you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Things are gonna get more intense the next few chapters. ;)
> 
> Not sexual intense. I ain't writing another one of those ever. It was super cringy and I wanted to die re-reading it. :)))))))


	11. If This is Love/Innocence Evolves

**Chapter Eleven**

**If This is Love/Innocence Evolves  
**

* * *

 

Halloween. It's the one time of the year where you can dress half naked and somehow get away with it. Even though it's meant for being scary, a lot of people rather dress up as a sexy nurse than a zombie. Since Blackwell knows it's students pretty well, they decided to have everyone take tomorrow off. I'm not going to drink or smoke so I'd probably use the free time to study or something.

I stared at myself in the mirror, adjusting my costume. It was so out of my comfort zone! I wore a black skirt that stopped at my mid-thigh, a black tank top, matching flats, and cat ears. On the back of my skirt was a tail that could bend around if you'd like. I'll be honest, I looked pretty fucking good! I took a step back and admired myself from afar. It was simple and sexy, just like the other girls.

Shit, was I actually starting to fit in?

I wrinkled my nose at the thought and almost burnt my outfit. I decided against it and grabbed my Polaroid camera. I turned it towards the little mirror and squatted down, trying to get most of my body in the shot. I moved the camera slightly away from my face and smiled, clicking the little button. I placed the photo next to my nightstand and slipped my camera into my bag.

The sun was going down and the party started in about thirty minutes. I was actually more excited to see people than party. I wanted to see who they tried to be, if they made their costume, and if they pretended to be in character. Maybe I should get into cosplay? Nah, that's more of a Warren thing. Speaking of the white knight, Kate and I were gonna meet him at the party! He pretended that he couldn't see me beforehand, as if we were getting married. I thought it was a little over dramatic for a costume, but I agreed.

A gentle knock bounced off my door before it creaked open.

"Party time!" Kate giggled and walked into the room. She had a long white dress on with spaghetti straps. She also wore a white headband that held a fluffy halo above her head, white flats, and a sparkly silver purse. I was glad she was able to get over the past and give everything a second chance. The last time I went to a party, Chloe ended up getting shot. I had to rewind and save her... only to watch her die hours later.

I forced a smile, "You look amazing!"

"So do you!" Kate gestured to my outfit, "It's a little... short. But, it's still cute!"

Kate was all about being modest. Sure, she was showing her shoulders tonight. But it's only one night. Otherwise, she's always wearing a cardigan and knee-length skirt. She told me she wants her future husband to be the one who sees her full body, which is understandable. She's never screamed at me for what I believe in, so I have no right to scream at her either. She gave me a little twirl and pushed her lips out, giving me a slight pose.

"Someone's ready!" I laughed.

"I'm just ready to rock the heavens!" She looked down at her outfit and blushed, "No pun intended." I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, leading her into the hallway.

* * *

 

"Cannon ball!" Some boy screamed as he dove off a high diving board, dressed as Batman, and into the pool of people below him. People screamed and clapped, applauding at his bravery. Kate giggles as some of the water sprinkles onto her dress. I cover my face, protecting my face paint, as water splashed around me. I had painted my nose black and drew very thin lines on my cheeks, indicating whiskers.

"Damn! If I wanted a shower, I would've asked for one." I joked.

"Well, now you won't need one." Kate nudges my shoulder and begins to walk away. I follow her to a little bar area. Another guy was serving up alcohol, trying to impress people with his mixing skills. If anything, he looked like a fish. His arms waved around as he tried to do tricks with the bottle, almost shattering it. Most of the teens enjoyed it, though. Maybe because of the amount of alcohol they've consumed.

I decided to grab a regular can of soda while Kate had a bottle of water. We walked towards a worn out couch and sat down. The guy next to us was already passed out, a burning joint in one of his hands. Kate wrinkled her nose at the smell. Personally, my nose was used to it. Chloe smoked most of the time whenever I had a week with her. Sean and Lyla also smoked sometimes. By now, I was used to the smells of it. Kate scooted closer towards me, not wanting to be associated with the guy.

Suddenly, someone ran up and flopped down next to me. The liquid in Kate and my drink's went into the air. The soda and water fell back down, getting our laps wet. Kate gasped before gently laughing, realizing the water had hit her. Meanwhile, I was pissed! The cold and sugary liquid spilled all over my lap. Without context, it looked like I decided to wet myself.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" I grumbled and shoved the guys arm. His white sleeve had droplets of soda on it. I grabbed a towel that the passed out guy had and began to wipe the mess off of me. If anything, it made it worse. The liquid soaked further into my pants and began to stick on my thighs. "Fucking asshole!" I shouted over the music.

"Is that anyway to talk to your boyfriend?"

I stopped wiping the spilled liquid and glanced over at the boy. Warren wore a white button up shirt, which was now stained brown. He also wore a pair of black pants, matching shoes, and a cape. His wavy curls were slicked back, forming a forced widow peek he never had before. The beautiful skin he had was a shade lighter, indicating he was paler than usual, and blood around his mouth. He smiled, showing glued on vampire teeth.

"Warren!" I yelled and hit him once more. Kate leaned forward, looking between us and the spilled drink. She covered her mouth as she erupted in giggles, realizing I had called Warren an asshole. The boy shrugs and kissed my cheek. He swung his legs off of the arms of the sofa, sitting upright, and placed an arm around my shoulder. "That was uncalled for! You couldn't of waited for me to set the drink down?"

"I didn't think it would've spilled!"

"Aren't you supposed to be smart or something?" I joked and placed the can on the old table. Warren pulled me close to his chest and kissed the side of my head. It was so weird! Don't get me wrong, I love the affection he's giving me. I just don't know how to react sometimes. The butterflies in my stomach makes me nervous, afraid to do anything back. I smiled and placed my head on his shoulder. Kate smiled over at us before taking out her phone, playing a game on it. I'm sure she was nervous to leave us, possibly afraid of a repeat of the last party she attended.

"Damn, are you the moon?" Sean walked over to us, gesturing towards Kate. "'Cause I could howl at you all night!"

Warren closed his eyes at the bad pun. I held back a laugh as Kate looked up at her phone, mouth hung open, not knowing what to say. Where do I begin? The fact that Sean's pun was so stupid and corny? Maybe him hitting on Kate? His outfit? Kate looked over at Warren and I, not knowing how to respond.

"Shit! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Sean rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a blush growing over his face. Kate tucks some hair behind her ear as she bit her lip, turning her gaze towards the floor. Sean wore a brown fur coat, matching brown pants, his sneakers, and wolf ears. He matched with me, drawing on his face. If Kate and Warren dressed up similar, we would've looked like we came from the musical "Cats".

Speaking of musicals, Dana and Juliet walked by. Their arms locked around each other, laughing and smiling at each other. Dana was dressed as Glinda while Juliet dressed as Elphaba from "Wicked". Figured, since they were both in drama club at one point.

"Maybe you redeem yourself." Kate looked up at Sean who knitted his brows, confused at what she was saying. "You wanna dance?" Sean's confused frown turned into a cheeky grin as he held out his palm. Kate took his offer and raised herself off the couch, taking his hand, and walking away from us. They vanished into the crowd of half naked and drunken people, swaying their hips to the music. The tempo of the song changed, slowing down into a gentle melody. The music filled the large speakers that scattered around the area. Warren grabbed my soda and took a sip, offering himself a drink, and sat it back down.

_It's been a long day and I'm trying to figure it out_

I locked my fingers with Warren's. He kissed the side of my head again, lingering their with his eyes closed, making sure his love was present. I brought his hand up to my lips and lovingly kissed it. The vampire smiled, exposing the gap between his fake-fanged teeth. His eyes sparkled underneath the blue lights, showing the large amount of love he had. Was it for me? Warren's always had a huge heart and wore it on his sleeve. He always enjoyed helping people out and making them smile. My rosy cheeks raised up as I smiled back at him, my heart skipping a beat.

The nerdy boy leaned over and whispered, "Can I show you something?"

_The way those words left your mouth_

I nodded before standing up, slipping out of his grip. The hand that rested on my shoulder made it's way towards my back, giving me shivers down my spine. I blushed at his gentle touch before grabbing his hand. Warren stood up and locked my fingers with his, going through the crowd of people. Dana, Juliet, Sean, and many more people knocked into us. We gave Sean and Kate a gentle wave before walking past them. Kate's hands were rested gently on Sean's shoulder while his were on her upper back. They weren't against each other. It looked like they were in a middle school dance, several feet apart, barely touching each other.

_I feel broken, shattered and blue_   
_And it's all because of you_

He gripped my hand tighter as the crowd became cramped, people bumping into me. A couple nudged the side of my shoulder, causing me to flinch and wince in pain. Warren looked back at me, stroking his thumb across mine, and nodded. It was a simple reminder to know that I was safe with him. I weakly smiled back as I followed him.

_And I'm trying, trying to figure it out_

He went over towards the swim coaches' office, sliding his hand above the door frame. It sent me flashbacks of the drive-in with him. It also reminded me of Chloe. How I snuck in to turn the pool and lights on, taking a midnight swim with her. I smiled at the memories as he unlocked the wooden door. A slight creak filled the air, over powering the music, as we slipped inside. He shut the door behind us and placed the key on a filing cabinet. The light melody was now a light hum, barely making out the lyrics. Warren untied the black cape he worn and hung it on a coat hanger. I decided to take off the cat head band and placed it onto the desk.

"Why'd you take me here?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Too loud." Warren sat on the desk next to my head band. I decided to scoot next to him, sitting on the cold metal desk. From the cold spilled soda and the desk, the back of my legs were freezing! I shivered lightly and Warren noticed, wrapping his arm around me again. "Look at them, partying without a care in the world. It's like we're in a museum, watching art take place."

I smirked at him, "Who's the artist now? Or are you a poet?"

Warren smiled before biting his lip, "Hey! I like art and poetry! I'm basically the new Da Vinci and Edgar Allan Poe."

"Don't let Sean hear you. He's still getting onto Kate over the Van Gogh ordeal."

_If this is love_   
_Why does it break me down?_

Warren laughed lightly, exposing the fangs he glued in almost an hour before. I stuck my finger into his mouth and gently pulled them out. The cheap glue didn't fight, agreeing to my movements. Warren nodded and took the other one out, placing them next to my headband. His grip on my waist tightened, pulling me closer, and moving one finger gently across my skin.

"I've liked you for so long." Warren placed his head on-top of mine, "How did I get so lucky?" I remembered the conversation we had in the Two Whales. Him handing me the photo, me kissing him, and him trying to admit his feelings. I cut him off, though. Looking back, I wish I didn't. I wish I heard what he had to say. In that timeline, Warren wouldn't of lived if I chose Chloe. Nobody would've. Kate, Chloe's parents, Dana... hell, even Victoria! I know it's sickening to say, but I would rather risk one person compared to an entire town. Nobody in Arcadia deserved to die, neither did Chloe. The grief Joyce has between William and Chloe is unimaginable. I feel so fucking guilty. I tried to prevent William and Chloe's death and couldn't. Joyce and I have to live with it for the rest of our lives.

Thinking about the past made a tear roll down my cheek. They couldn't stop. My lip trembled before I had to close my eyes, a burning sensation taking over them. I raised my left hand towards my face, covering my eyes, a silent sob coming from me. Warren's hand moved from my back to my shoulder, offering me support.

"Max? What's wrong?"

_Why do you break me down?_  
If this is love  
Why does it break me down?

_Why do you break me down?_

"Warren." I grabbed his hand as I held his grip against me, "I always knew. I always knew you liked me! I'm so sorry for ignoring you and treating you like shit! You're one of the most amazing people I've met and I don't deserve you."

His concerned look dropped as his smile faded.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No!" I shouted and gave a breathless laugh. His shoulders relaxed as he sighed. "I just... I don't know. I just don't deserve someone who's so compassionate, loyal, and patient as you are." I began to stutter as the tears streamed down my face. I remembered all the opportunities I rejected from him. The hugs, almost kisses, secret dates, and so much more. He waited for me to heal instead of trying to get to me. He was an amazing friend, boyfriend, and person in general. I closed my eyes as the burning became more intense. Warren wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me into his chest. I gave in, wrapping my arms around his torso.

His strong grip almost crushed my ribs, refusing me to leave. Warrens chocolate brown eyes looked into my blue sea of tears. His finger tips brushed against my cheek, brushing away my tears. My lip quivered as I tried to hold everything in. It's like this a lot. I've already said this but sometimes I bottle my emotions up so much that it overflows. I either get angry, sad, or emotionless. In this case, I was sad. Sad that I didn't notice Warren sooner and how he has to deal with how broken I was. He didn't deserve all the screams and cries in the middle of the night.

"Don't talk like that, okay?" Warren smiled in attempt to make me smile back. "Everything is going to be alright. You're amazing and... I like you. A lot." A blush spreads across his face. Even in sad or serious moments, Warren can be mushy. I gently smiled at him and raised my hand up to his cheek.

"I really like you too."

_It's been a long time since I've felt the way that I do now_   
_Like I need you but I don't know how_   
_It's been a while since I smiled_   
_And I meant it for all my heart_   
_But the idea of leaving this behind, it tears me apart_

I leaned in and kissed my tear stained lips to his warm ones. A shiver rolled down my spine. Every time he kissed me, it seemed like the first time. Fire works, tingles, shivers, and adrenaline. He feels it each time, too. Warren always deepened the kiss within a few seconds, wanting to savor the moment. I raised my other hand towards his hair, tangling them in the slicked back waves.

I kissed him back. Our lips pulling apart briefly only to reconnect with each other. Just like the first time, they connected over and over again. He pulled me closer, getting lost in the moment, our chests against each other. His lips moved from my mouth to my jaw, placing gentle kisses against it. Holy shit. Was this cereal?

Wow, haven't said that phrase in a while.

I smiled as he continued, gently kissing my neck. I rubbed my thigh against his which resulted in a moan from him. His voice vibrated my neck which made a gasp escape my lips. The tears I shed moments ago had dried. Sadness was replaced with pleasure and affection. I've never done anything like this. Not with Sean or any other guys I might've had something with. Sean was always scared to lose his virginity until the last month of me being around. He asked me a few times but I wasn't exactly ready for that type of commitment yet. Hell, I've been dating Warren for almost a week or so! I shouldn't be wanting it now.

Warren's hand snaked up the back of my shirt, his nails gently scraping my skin, as his lips gently bit onto my collar bone. I hissed before biting my lip, enjoy the little pain he gave me. From the sound I made, he smiled and kept going. His other hand went towards the front of my shirt, gently groping my chest. I leaned into his touch as I tugged on his hair, removing the gel and hairspray with my fingers.

"Fuck." Warren's voice became so low. It honestly kinda scared me! I thought that maybe I did something wrong, so I pulled away and searched over his face. His entire face was flushed red and droll came from his bottom lip. He smirked at me before pulling me back in, kissing me harder than before. Apparently hair pulling turned the nerd on. I pulled again and heard a moan escape his lips along with another whispered curse. I slid my tongue across his bottom lip as I begged for permission.

He agreed, letting me explore the inside of his mouth. When I did, Warren pulled one of my legs on top of his. But, that wasn't all! Warren gently leaned forward, making me go backwards, until I was lying on the desk. My leg was still wrapped around his waist. These sudden movements made me squeal in excitement, making me sound like a happy mouse.

_If this is love_   
_Why does it break me down?_   
_Why do you break me down?_

His lips trailed to my neck again, pressing harder than before. I breathed heavy as he slipped his curious fingers underneath my bra, feeling the heated skin. I turned my head towards the crowd of people outside the door, dancing away, not caring. Nobody could look inside unless they pressed their entire face against the glass. Warren raised the black tank-top over my head before tossing it carelessly onto the floor. My trembling fingers messed with the buttons on his shirt, trying to undo them.

Due my trembling of nervousness and excitement, it took longer than it should have. He had me take my time. Warren could've stopped me and ripped his own shirt off but wanted me to. He smiled as he watched me fumble more, my nails matching up with the chattered teeth I had. He seemed so cool and patient while I was flipping my shit! How was he not freaking out? I finished the last button and he shrugged his shoulders, having the fabric roll off his skin.

Warren wasn't an athlete. But, he wasn't exactly over weight either. He definitely had muscles around his arms and chest, but no superstar abs. He looked like a generic guy which I loved. He wasn't trying to cover himself all the time nor show off like the jocks. Warren could totally pick me up and spin me around if he wanted to, but he couldn't live five-hundred pounds like some guys. After all, he spent most of his time playing games and watching movies.

He noticed me staring and gently chuckled, kissing the top of my forehead.

_It's been a long time since I've felt the way that I do now  
Like I need you but I don't know how_

"You're amazing, Max."

"Are you just saying that because I have my shirt off?"

"No! I mean, yeah." He rolled his eyes with a smile. I smiled back, my nose crinkling in the process. It's been a while since I had genuinely smiled like that. "Just in general, you're so beautiful and amazing."

"If you make me cry again, I'm leaving your ass." I removed my hands from his neck, crossing them over my chest.

Warren didn't laugh. Instead, he leaned down and kissed me again. I unfolded my arms before gently touching his cheeks. The kiss was sweet and simple, lasting for a few moments. He pulled away and moved some of the bangs from my face.

_It's been a while since I smiled_  
And I meant it for all my heart  
But the idea of leaving this behind, it tears me apart

_Apart._

_Apart._

_Apart._

The stuttering of the speakers drew us out of our romantic ways. Warren and I looked over at the window, seeing the crowd had stopped dancing. From looking over a few people, I saw Nathan. He held a baseball bat and began to beat the DJ's station. People whispered and gasped in horror as Nathan began to break the equipment. Warren raised up and I followed, becoming intrigued by the scene.

The teen had an emotionless look. No anger or sadness. He didn't seem drunk either. Nathan was just beating the fuck out of the equipment. The speakers go out, completely stopping the song. The DJ was off to the side, holding the side of his head in shock, wondering what the fuck was going on. I'm sure he bought all the equipment. So Nathan breaking it wasn't helping anything.

"What the fuck?" Warren whispered before grabbing his shirt off the ground. I followed his moves and grabbed my shirt, slipping it over my head. Warren opens the door and jogs out, watching Nathan across the pool.

"Psycho!" Someone yelled. I followed the voice and saw Victoria cupping her hands over her mouth, using it as a megaphone. Through her angered expression, I could see the pain hidden behind them. Her best friend used her, hid dark secrets, came back, and now ruining the night. Honestly, I don't blame her. I'd be pissed too. But knowing what I know about Nathan, all I could do was stand back and watch. Maybe he was taking his years of frustration out? He didn't seem upset though.

The bat cracked as Nathan hit one of the speakers. The impact was so strong that the speaker fell into the pool. A few people screamed as the speaker sunk further. People yelled for everyone to get out of the pool, in fear of being electrocuted. Well, everyone decided to take the action for themselves. Several bodies ran past me screaming! Kate and Sean's eyes glazed over, not noticing me, as they ran outside for safety.

Warren grabbed my hand, ready to run with the crowd. But a few people knocked his grip out of mine. I stumbled for a few moments, trying to regain my balance. But, I slipped on the water below me. I hit my head against the side of the lifeguard post before falling into the pool.

I waved my arms around frantically, my skirt getting in my view sight, as I tried to reach the top. The blue tinted water slowly became pink and red around me, indicating blood was around me. My eyes widened as I got my shit together, swimming towards the top.

My lungs burned as I coughed, gasping for air, and trying to remove any water I inhaled accidentally. The water remained in my ears for a moment. Everything was muffled! The screams and cries were so loud that it rang through my clogged ears. I stuck my fingers inside and wiggled, getting everything out. Fuck, I should've kept the water in! The screams were louder and clearer, telling people to run and how Nathan turned into a true psycho. A few people glanced down at me, gasping, and quickly walking away. I squinted my eyes, my forehead lines becoming more visible.

Almost on cue, a pain formed on the side of my head.

I gripped my wet hair before removing my hand, looking down at it. Light pink was painted all over it, sliding down my arm, and into the water. I winced in pain as a sharp throbbing feeling took up the side of my head. In front of me was Nathan, he looked at everyone's panicked faces. He didn't seem happy about it, either. My fingers wrapped around a metal bar as I climbed the stairs out of the pool. Nathan's eyes widened as he noticed me.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted over the screams. Half of the party was out the door. Nathan and I were basically the only ones left. He remained silent, biting his lip, refusing to answer me. "Why the fuck did you do that? I thought you changed!"

"I did!" The blonde snapped, yelling back at me. I flinched. I remembered the scene in the parking lot, where his hand wrapped around my neck as I scratched the side of his face. He noticed and gripped the side of his hair. His breathing increased as his eyes scanned the tiles frantically. Shit! He was losing it, again! I grabbed a hold of his shoulders and gently shook him.

"Nathan, I need you to tell me-"

"Run!"

"What?" I asked, blinking several times. Nathan ripped my hands off his shoulders and squeezed my wrists. His sparkling blue eyes flashed with fear. He looked behind me and licked his lips nervously.

"Fucking run!" He shouted. Nathan grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, still holding onto my wrist. I stumble at first but pick up his pace, running towards the main doors. A few footsteps echo behind us, picking up their pace. Was it David? Principal Wells? I tried to look back but Nathan tugged me, refusing to let me look back. His body smacked into the door as his nervous fingers pushed on the door. It wouldn't move! It was locked from the outside, probably from David. Nathan cursed and grabbed my arm again. We ran to the other side of the pool, past the office and into one of the locker rooms. He tested another door. It was fucking locked too! He ran his trembling fingers through his hair as he looked behind him. I glanced behind me too, hearing the footsteps grow closer. Nathan turned towards me, grabbing my shoulders again. "Max, I need you to dodge him, okay? Whatever you do, avoid him and find a window! Break it! Just get out of here, okay? Don't worry about me?"

"Nathan, what are you-"

"Maxine Caulfield!" In the door way of the locker room was a figure. I could only see it's broad shoulders as it held something in its hand. Nathan grabbed me and put me behind him, using himself as a shield or barrier between the other person. "Oh, Max. You always had an amazing eye. I admired your work from afar." I blinked several times, trying to recognize the voice.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness as the figure got closer. Nathan backed up, making my back press against the corner of two lockers. Nathan pulls out a pocket knife from his jacket pocket, nervously holding it into the air.

"Don't you fucking step any closer!"

"We had a deal, Nathan."

"Deals fucking done! I don't owe you shit, anymore!"

The figure snickered as they stepped closer. Nathan's hand trembling more as his grip loosened. The knife fell to the floor, bouncing a few times, before resting. Nathan cursed under his breath before pressing his back against me, crushing me between the lockers and himself.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" He shouted as his grip on my arms tightened, his nails digging into my flesh. The figure stepped closer, inches away from Nathan's body. I was in too much shock, and probably from losing blood, to make out any details of the person. The person grabbed Nathan from his hair and threw him to the ground. The sound that Nathan made broke my heart. It sounded like an abused animal, afraid to be touched, due to the traumatic experiences it had. A cry and whimper escaped him as he fell to the ground effortlessly, not wanting to get hurt worse. His body trembled under the figure, shaking like a fragile leaf.

My breath hitched as I looked in shock and horror. The mysterious stranger's gaze went from Nathan's fragile body to my paralyzed one.

"Are you going to make this easy?" He asked, raising his arms and lowering them defeated. I didn't say or do anything, afraid of what was to come. The stranger reached into their jacket pocket and pulled out a needle.

It all fucking clicked.

It seemed as if I had woken up, too. My mouth dropped as I looked into the strangers eyes. It was Mark Jefferson. His little beard had grown out further, growing a bit past his collar bone. The grew and black mixed together as did the hair on his head, which was pulled back into a tiny bun. He wore an old t-shirt, jacket, jeans, and shoes. It was drastically different from how he used to dress. Three years aged him hard.

They should've killed him.

My mind raced with memories. Kate's photos, her loose memories of the dark room, finding Rachel's body, all the folders and drugs, being tied up and exposed to him. I closed my eyes as tears rolled down. I covered my mouth with my hand as a shrill came out. My body and mind screamed in pain as painful memories flooded back. I felt so fucking weak! Was this how Nathan felt for years? Every-time he was 'captured', he probably acted the same way. Now that Jefferson is back, Nathan feels hopeless. He tried to be strong. But him shaking, breathing heavy, sobbing, and muttering to himself on the floor proved how traumatic everything was for him.

I raised my arms up and pushed Jefferson away. He stumbled backwards and I took it as my cue to run past him. I went around the locker room and into the bathrooms. Maybe I could hide in the last stall? Not in here though, it would be too obvious.

I picked up my pace and ran into the opposite locker room. I entered the bathroom and hopped onto the toilet of the last stall. If I closed the door, he would notice. So, I kept it open and covered my mouth, trying to calm my breathing.

"Max!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. Tears rolled down my face as I tried to calm myself down. I closed my eyes, holding back my sob, as the seat underneath me shook. "I just want to see your pretty face again! After all, you were my favorite student." My stomach did violent flips. I gagged but held it all back, refusing to be heard from him. That was until the seat underneath me rattled, shifting places due to my weight. It went off to the side, slightly breaking, with a loud crack.

It was dead silent.

Nathan's sobs stopped and Jefferson's footsteps vanished. I opened my eyes, looking around. Maybe they thought it was a security guard coming in? I removed my hand and tried to peek out of the stall. Nothing. I glanced around me and took one step off the seat, making sure I wasn't heard. But, the seat had other plans. As my weight lifted off, it clinked again.

That's when he rounded the corner.

I quickly pressed my back against the stall while my other foot remained on the seat. I covered my mouth again as my anxiety kicked in at full blast. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. The blood from my injured head dripped onto the wall, my shirt, and bare skin. By now, my brown hair was soaked into a dark reddish-brown. The footsteps grew closer, slowly sliding against the floor.

I closed my eyes as I prepared for the worst.

"Max, what was my number one rule?" I pressed my lips together as tears rolled further down my face. My lips mimicked his as he whispered, "Always take the shot."

A sharp pain entered my neck. I screamed as I pushed him away, trying to hurt him in the process. Instead he grabbed me by my chest and pressed the needle further into my skin. I banged my wrists against his legs and I kicked my legs around, trying to break free from his grasp. I fought so hard, trying to escape his death grip. But he was so fucking strong. Prison did him good, physically. He was stronger than before, being able to hurt anyone he encountered. This happened to include Nathan and I.

I screamed louder, hoping someone would hear me. Liquid entered my punctured skin as he injected the drug into my system. I screamed and hit him harder, hoping he would let me go.

He did, but my limp body fell to the ground.

The drugs entered my blood stream fast, making me weak and drowsy. My head pounded more as I fell to my knees. My cheek skidded across the cold floor as Jefferson circled around me. It takes most of my strength to look up at him, a crooked and sinister smile spreading across his face. He pocketed the needle before picking me back up, bridal style, and walking me towards an exit.

He brushed the hair from my face as he gently carried my limp body. I fluttered my eyes, trying to fight the urge to fall asleep. My racing mind had calmed, not worried about anything any longer. I passed by Nathan who watched in horror, paralyzed to help me. I don't blame him. If the tables were turned, I would've been too shocked to help him, too.

The cold night breeze hit my limp body. Jefferson sang a soft lullaby into my ear as his hand rubbed against my arm, trying to soothe me. My eyes rolled up as my head fell back, looking up at the passing streetlights and moon above me. The sick man dropped my legs before opening the door to an old truck. The rusted metal creaked as he slid me into the back. He covered me up with a blanket before shutting the door.

That's when my eyes slammed shut, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ooooof this chapter alone is about 6k words. That's a new record. Normally, these chapters are about 2 - 3k. I basically combined two together because it just made sense to me. Idk! Not only that but I haven't updated in a hot minute. That's mainly because I was planning out ideas for another story! It's coming very soon, once I make some final tweaks to the outline.
> 
> I also went to a concert! It was my first one ever. I cried, screamed, sang, danced, and almost passed out. It was Ariana Grande. I'm so grateful and ahhhh! I literally have no words. I'm just so happy and blessed.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is basically the start of the climax of the book.
> 
> Also, I can't write romance to save my life. I'm sorry :( I didn't go into explicit details, so I don't think I have to change the rating. If I do, let me know. But since no P went into any V's, I think I'm safe! AHAHAH!


	12. Into Corruption

**Chapter Twelve**

**Into Corruption  
**

* * *

"Wake up." I groaned and squeezed my eyes tighter, not wanting to face whatever reality had to offer. The voice sighs before they lightly tapped my cheek. "Max, I'm not fucking around."

I knew that voice!

My eyes shot open to see Chloe in front of me. She looked normal. She wasn't wounded or dead, either. She wasn't a figment of my imagination or in my dreams. Instead, Chloe stood before me, with her arms crossed. The blue haired punk was clearly annoyed at something. Tears sprang into my eyes as she stood before me, a slight smile on her face, happy that I could see her.

"Chloe!" I yelled and tried to stand up. I was jerked back down due to the force of duct tape that was wrapped around my arms and ankles. Shit! This was real! Jefferson really came back and kidnapped me. Nathan tried to help me but the past caught up to him, making him become weak. I shook my head as my eyes roamed over the room. It was the fucking dark room! I thought they tore it and the barn down ages ago! The room was empty except for the white backdrop, the chair I was in, and an old chair. Next to the chair was bottles of pills and needles along with a camera. You'd think that sick man would've learned his lesson the first time! Chloe sat in the chair, leg crossed over the other, as she smiled at me.

"'Bout time you woke up."

"What the fuck?! How did I end up here?" I yelled as I pulled my arms, trying to break free.

"Honestly, dude, I'm wondering the same thing."

"I thought you were dead!" I yelled as tears streamed down my face, "You aren't real!"

"You're right." Chloe shrugged, "It's probably the drugs he slipped into you." She unfolds her arms and gestured to the bottles next to her feet. It sent a shiver down my spine. I remembered him poking my neck and arms years ago. To experience it all again, almost sent me over the edge. I thought I stopped this! I thought everyone would have justice and be happy! Kate is still alive and Rachel has peace. Why the hell is this happening again?! Chloe leaned forward and smiled, "I missed you, Max."

I put my head down and closed my eyes. I missed her so much! I would do anything to spend a real, non drugged, moment with her. She was my best friend and I just left her! I left her for Seattle and left her for dead. What kind of friend was I? Who would do something like that? I raised my head to see her gone. I looked around the room, searching for the blue haired girl, but she was no where to be seen. I whimpered as anxiety rose in me. I was alone. I had to fight this shit again.

I tugged harder at the tape, not caring it was practically ripping my skin apart, trying to get myself free. I grunted as I pulled harder and harder, wiggling my arms around, trying to loosen everything. He must've used several rolls of tape for this! I screamed as I pulled harder, throwing a mini tantrum, as I tried to break free. Nothing would budge! With the drugs he slipped into my blood stream, it didn't help I was weak, either.

A door creaked open.

I stopped struggling and sat up right, my hands trembling from anger and fear. Footsteps came closer until the person rounded the corner, entering the tiny archway. It was Jefferson. He held a take out bag from the Two Whales in one hand as the other held a cup. With two free fingers, he lowered the hood of his jacket. I glared at him as he made his way closer. Sitting in the chair that Chloe once sat in, he smiled gently at me.

"Morning."

I didn't respond.

"I know you're probably hungry. I didn't know what you liked." He searched through the bag and held a rounded object in foil. My mouth watered slightly. The smell of grease, melted cheese, and meat filled my nose. I was starving! Jefferson took the foil off to see show the famous Two Whales burger. Droll rolled down my chin and onto my slightly damp shirt that clung to my body. Jefferson wrapped the foil around the bottom of the burger before opening a ketchup and mustard packet, coating the inside lightly with the condiments.

He held the burger in front of my face. I stared at it for such a long time. The bun that was slowly getting soggy, the steaming patty, melted cheese, rings of cut onions, and cut pickles all taunted me. They laughed in my face, teasing me, yet begging me to devour it. This was his way for me to trust him, wasn't it? I would trust him and he'd do whatever he wants with me. It's what he did with Nathan and Rachel, too! He'd give them whatever they want, being nice, only to use and betray them.

I turned my head, refusing to eat it.

"You sure?" He asked. I didn't respond, refusing to look into his eyes. The man shrugged before taking a bite, ketchup dripping into his beard. I turned my gaze back to him. Why was I hurt? It was just food. He stared into my eyes, smirking at my hurt expression, as he took another bite. Crumbs fell into his large beard that had grown over time. My stomach grumbled at the sight, begging for a bite. He threw his head back and smiled, exposing the chewed food in his mouth. He swallowed the food and gasped, "Yum! This is so good!"

Prick.

He picks up the cup before putting the straw into his mouth, he sucks lightly. The light brown liquid slowly crawls up the straw and wets his lips. His Adams apple bobs lightly as the liquid goes down his throat, coating his tongue. By tongue was drier than a desert and I was desperate. It was probably from the drugs, though. He probably planned it that way, too. I licked my lips as he raised the burger up again.

"You sure you don't want a bite?" Before he finished his sentence, I leaned forward. He held the food up to my lips and I sunk my teeth into it. The soft bread, hot meat, and mix of ingredients made me smile. I couldn't hold it back. I smiled as I took another bite, not chewing nor swallowing the first one, which made my cheeks full. Another bite went into my mouth. My taste buds cheered as the flavors danced across. It was spicy from the mustard yet sour from the pickles. The seasoning of the burger made my mouth hot yet I enjoyed it. It was as if I haven't ate in weeks! It was pure heaven as I swallowed the food, patiently yet impatiently waiting for more. Jefferson lifted the cup and my lips wrapped around the straw. I washed the food down and I smiled again as my dry throat because damp.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked when I pulled away.

"Why are you trusting me?" I froze as he smiled, placing the cup down. This fucking asshole! He noticed my happy expression faded into an angered scowl. His lips pulled into a smile before he pointed his finger at me, "That's why. I wanted to see that expression again."

" _The slightly unconscious model is often the most open and honest. No vanity or posing, just... pure expression._ "

Jefferson leaned in close, "God! That innocence! You're looking at me with such anger yet your so naive to what's going to happen."

"I'm not innocent."

"Rachel said the same thing."

I smirked, "That's because she didn't know about this place." His expression dropped. He quickly stood up which resulted in the chair dropped behind him. A few pill bottles clang behind him, causing his attention to focus their for a lingering moment. I began to squirm when he picked up a needle and one of the bottles, which was filled with a clear liquid. Shit! I shouldn't of said anything!

"I should've known! You're so nosy, of course you'd figure this place out." He slipped the needle into the bottle and pulls upwards, filling it with the liquid, and tapping the excess off. I screamed as I tugged harder, the tape didn't budge. Jefferson walked behind me and gently rubbed my shoulder. I flinched against his touch, still struggling to get out of the seat. "But, nobody will find out about you. Not Kate, Nathan, or even Warren."

I stopped moving.

My fists clenched when he mentioned Warren's name. My teeth ground against each other as I looked upwards, seeing a few of the lights flicker. They reminded me of the camera flashes. The pictures he took of Kate, Rachel, and me came flooding back. So many girls had to experience his cruel ways! He always got away with it just like now. Jefferson's needle lightly poked against my skin, begging to enter. Warren has no idea where the hell I am! Kate doesn't remember coming or being in the dark room, so she can't save me. Sean has no clue what the hell I and others went through. Nathan is broken, probably being sent back to jail or something. This left me all alone. Nobody can help me.

I had to fight for myself.

I screamed as I ripped the tape up. My left arm cried in pain as the tape came undone, ripping the hair and some skin along with it. I wasted no time, grabbing Jefferson's wrist and twisted it. He yelped in pain, falling backwards, and grabbing my hair. I extended my head away from him as I twisted harder. I heard a loud crack! I twisted more as the crack became louder. Jefferson's scream filled my ears, causing a ringing to form. I moved my hand away and grabbed the needle as he fell to the ground, holding his wrist.

"You stupid bitch!" He yelled as tears rolled down his face. "You fucking broke my wrist!"

I help the needle in front of me, using it as a weapon, trying to defend myself. Jefferson raised off his knees as he panted, trying to somehow fix his wrist. He winced in pain as he tried to move it with his other hand. Giving up, he held the broken wrist against his chest. The fury in his eyes scared the living shit out of me! I never saw him so angry before. I held the needle further up, aiming at his face, as my hand trembled.

I was terrified yet fearless at the same time.

"Let me go!" I shouted.

He laughed, "You really think I'd let you go? Especially with what you just did?" He threw his head back, laughing as tears continued to stream down his face. I continued to point the needle at him, refusing to show any weakness. Jefferson rubbed his arm and winced again, holding back a series of screams and curses. Behind him, a door creaked open. We turned our attention as footsteps shuffled towards us. "About time you came here!"

Nathan entered the dark room. His gaze is towards the floor, refusing to look at the both of us.

"Nathan, you don't have to listen to him!" Nathan remained silent, refusing to respond to me. "Listen to me! This isn't you! You and I both know that, okay? You can still back out of this."

"You think he can back out of this?" Jefferson smirked before walking over to the disturbed teen. Jefferson slammed his good hand down on Nathan's shoulder. The traumatized teen flinched at the action before his hands trembled again. All the therapy he had was going away. His good and calming personality was slowly crumbling down as his old ways began to build up. How he was on edge, fidgety, and shaking made me feel so much sympathy for him. "If Nathan leaves, he won't see another sunrise. Isn't that right, Nathan?"

The boy doesn't confirm nor deny. He was too scared to move.

"You can't do this to people!" I yelled, hoping both of them would wake up and realize the shit they're doing wrong.

"Nathan and I made a deal." Jefferson ruffled the boys hair, "Nathan would help me by rebuilding my dark room, secretly. While I pay for his therapy sessions and medication." I scoffed. I doubt they would work with the shit he's doing. I looked at the pair confused.

"So, you can pay for Nathan's mental health treatments but not whatever else?"

"Its cheaper."

"That doesn't make sense." I rolled my eyes as I dropped my arm to my side. The needle was held between my index and thumb, waiting to attack. "Why can't Nathan pay for his own medical treatments?"

"Daddy Prescott won't allow him." Jefferson smirked as Nathan looked away, anger burning in his eyes. It was the same anger he had for Chloe and me in the parking lot. It was the same anger he had before Warren beat him senseless.

_"I'm so sorry! P-P-Please, stop..."_

I closed my eyes as Nathan's cries rang through my ears. He had to deal with whatever his dad did to him along with Jefferson. Who knows what type of abuse he went through! Physical? Emotional? Mental? Hell... even sexual? No, Max! Don't think that! Nathan and you will be fine. We'll bust Jefferson again and make sure he never escapes or bails out again. A lump in my throat formed as Jefferson walked closer to me.

"Nathan is basically my son." He smiled, "I want the best for him. Right, Nathan?"

"Yes..." Nathan trailed off before Jefferson looked back, a slight glare in his eyes, "... dad."

I wanted to vomit! Nathan truly thought Jefferson was a father figure, trusting him with everything. Jefferson used it against him. He manipulated Nathan and broke his trust, but not their bond. It was so cruel, sad, and sickening. My gaze fell to the ground as tears sprang into my eyes. I was hoping Nathan could help me. But, with how much he's slipping away again, he's useless.

I want Warren so fucking badly! I want to scream and cry into his arms, his warm embrace comforting me as I fell asleep in his arms. I wouldn't have any nightmares. I would wake up with the scent of burnt popcorn and his cologne as he prepared a movie for us to watch. We'd laugh and make fun of it before embracing each other again, gazing into each others eyes, fingers roaming into each others brown hair.

I missed him so much.

Tears rolled down my face as I longed for my boyfriend's comforting hands and voice. My silent cries turned into a sob. My breathing increased and my throat gargled with the tears that fell. Nathan's angered expression became soft as he heard me. His head raised slowly, showing the sadness he had. He wan't to help me but he didn't want to die. He didn't want me to die. I cried harder and harder. My wailing so loud that you'd think I experienced someone dying.

In a sense, it was the last of my hope dying.

I thought I could live a happy life. I thought I did the right thing by letting Chloe go and saving everyone. Instead, it brought more chaos. I brought my hand up to my mouth, dropping the syringe, and tried to muffle my sobs. I screamed in agony as memories came flooding back. Chloe on the side of the mountain, the photos of Kate, Nathan's last phone call, seeing Sean's saddened face as I left him, and Warrens warm yet startled kiss back as I left him in the diner. I remembered how hours prior, Kate and Sean was so happy with me and each other. How Warren and I sneaked off and enjoyed each others company. Our kiss in the rain. Our gentle kisses in the swimming coaches office.

Everything won't matter anymore.

I was going to die.


	13. Keep It From Living

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Keep It From Living**

* * *

The hushed whispers of Jefferson's voice filled my ears. I fluttered my eyes open only to see a flash of white light. I blinked a few times before looking around, see a camera super close to my face. A flash covered my eyesight as Jefferson clicked the camera, exposing a bright light. I groaned in pain as I began to see stars and swirls. He chuckled before moving from one knees to his stomach, moving closer to my body.

"Perfect." He whispered before he took another photo. "You're so perfect, Max."

"Go fuck yourself." I groaned as I tried to lift my head. Whatever drugs he gave me refused me to. I felt like one of those Bratz dolls. The ones that had the huge heads and little bodies. It felt like I couldn't move my head, as if it was heavier than normal. It took all my strength to turn my neck towards the left, meeting his gaze. I could see his smile behind the camera, amused by my expressions. They were fierce from the anger that boiled in me.

"Now, now." He hushed, "No need for foul language."

"Eat shit."

He smirked at my comment, completely ignoring him. All I could do was insult him. I was too weak and tied up to fight back. I only hoped I would trigger something emotionally, causing him to crumble from my harsh words. But, he was built like a brick wall. Nothing could phase him. I swallowed hard as my throat was dry. Jefferson noticed as stood up, walking to the lonely chair, and grabbing a bottle of water.

"If you keep that up, they'll be punishments." Jefferson unscrewed the cap. He raised my body from the white floor, and moved the bottle towards my mouth. I felt like an actual baby. I stared into his soulless eyes as he continued to have me drink the cold water. Honestly, it's probably the nicest thing he's done for someone in years. He moved the bottle away from me and slowly put me back down.

But I had a different plan.

I held all the water in my mouth, waiting for the perfect moment. When Jefferson met my gaze again, after putting the water down, I reared back and spit the liquid into his eyes. He flinched and turned his head in disgust. I then took the rest of the water, turned my head over his shoulder, and spit on his camera. Even though a little water wouldn't harm it, I hoped it would somehow break.

"You stupid bitch!" He dropped me, causing me to hit my head against the hard floor. I cried out in pain as the sensation grew from the back to my head towards my temple. I gasped at the intense headache. "This was exactly what I was talking about!" Jefferson grabbed his camera and began to wipe it against his shirt, trying to try the lens from my spit and water. He groaned in frustration as the water smeared all over the lens, making it dirty.

"Let me go or next time I'll smash it." I threatened. How the fuck was I supposed to smash something if I couldn't move my pinky? What would I do? Head-butt it until one of us breaks?

He laughed, "I'd love to see you try." He put the camera on the chair before turning behind him. In the corner of the room was Nathan, knees up to his chest, trying to calm himself down. "Nathan, fetch me more gloves. I need to run some tests."

My skin ran cold. No! No, no, no! I squirmed on the floor as Nathan forced himself off the ground. He walked through the archway and ripped something out of a box. Walking back, it was a pair of clear plastic gloves. I had to somehow stopped this! This was complete bullshit! I thought I had stopped all this shit from happening. I squirmed more, regaining feeling back in my legs. Jefferson noticed and smirked, snapping one of the gloves hard against his chilled skin.

"Please, don't!" I whimpered.

"God, I love hearing people beg!" He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, enjoying the sounds of my cries. I shook my head violently, adrenaline running through my drug-infested veins. "As much as I'd love to let you go, I need these perfect photos... and your punishment."

He grabbed one of the needles, which looked used, and struck it into a bottle. He filled the syringe with more of the clear liquid before walking over to me. I felt a droplet of it on my cheek before it rolled down my chest. I kicked his knee away weakly, trying to push him away. I can't let this happen! I need to stay sober and fight against him. I needed to get Nathan away and never look back, no matter what sick offers or promises Jefferson had.

"Please, leave her alone." Nathan's voice was a faint whisper. Jefferson's needle was inches away from my already punctured neck. The middle aged man stopped, knitting his brows against the black frame of his glasses, before turning back to the teen.

"What?"

"Please, don't hurt her. Not now, at least." Nathan's gaze was anywhere else. From briefly meeting Jefferson's eyes, towards mine, the floor, and the box of supplies next to the chair. His eyes moved rapidly, trying his best to avoid any conflict. "She's been through enough tonight."

Jefferson remained on his knee for a moment, looking at the teen with a confused expression. The man looked down at my scowling expression, smirking at my reaction towards him. He nodded and raised up, tossing the needle into the little bin.

"Okay," he nodded, "alright." Instead of grabbing his camera and taking more photos, he walked towards the opposite corner that Nathan stood in. It was my bag. How the fuck did they get my bag?! I didn't take it at the party. Nathan must've broken in and stole it from my room. Jefferson bent back down and fumbled around for the contents. Inside, he found my phone. He rolled his thumb up, unlocking the phone. The man fiddled with it for a moment before walking over towards Nathan. "Can you get them for me?"

Nathan blinked a few times at whatever Jefferson showed him.

"But that's a guy. We normally subject-"

"Can you get them for me?" Jefferson's voice was stricter. It was more like a command than a question. The man glared deeply into Nathan's fractured soul, threatening him silently. If Nathan messed up, it was all over. Nathan's mental help, which at the moment wasn't helping, would be cut off. But more importantly, Nathan would probably die if he didn't obey. Jefferson had Nathan wrapped around his finger and there was nothing he could do about it. Nathan slowly nodded before fetching a black jacket from the corner of the room. I think he used it earlier as a comfort blanket or pillow.

The teen slipped the fabric over his paper thin arms before walking out of the dark room, closing the metal door behind him. This left Jefferson and I by ourselves. Honestly, I felt safer with Nathan around. Even though he was basically traumatized, it felt good to know I wasn't witnessing this shit alone.

Was that cruel to say?

Either way, I enjoyed Nathan's company. When it was just Jefferson and I, I felt terrified. I felt so exposed and weak, as if he could do anything with me. Through my angered gaze, he noticed how terrified I was. He enjoyed it. Jefferson pulled out my phone again and opened an app. Soon, a light hum played over the speakers. I knew this song. It was the song that played when Warren comforted me about Kate in my old timeline. We watched the sunset over a hill as Justin played the song, smoking with his friends.

_Face stained in the ceiling_   
_Why does it keep saying,_

I added it to my playlist of Blackwell Memories. In the playlist was all the songs I belted in my head while walking down the halls. All the songs that Chloe showed me, the Vortex club's taste, and songs that Warren hummed in my ears when I struggled to sleep. I remember this was one of them. A month after sacrificing Chloe, I went into his room. It was the first nightmare I had with her in it.

Warren talked me down, comforting me the best he could. I was falling asleep in his arms when he stroked the short brown hair on my head, humming the song lightly.

_I don't have to see you right now  
I don't have to see you right now_

Looking back, I was half asleep. I was in and out of consciousness, afraid to fall asleep and wanting to hear Warren soothe me. But my eyelids had other plans. I remembered his gentle lips pressing against my temple as I nuzzled further into his arms, wanting to feel safer. He accepted and pulled me closer, whispering the rest of the lyrics.

But now, this song will hold a painful memory.

Jefferson snickered as he saw my face grow soft. I smiled gently to myself, remembering the times with Warren. His sweet angelic yet raspy (from being tired) voice sending shivers down my spine. Maybe, in that moment, I slowly began to fell in love. It just took me this long to figure it out. Jefferson walked over and placed my phone on the floor as he sat across from me, in the chair.

"Beautiful song, don't you think?" He asked. I didn't respond, trying to block out the entire situation with happier moments.

_Digging like you can bury_  
Something that cannot die  
We could wash the dirt off our hands now  
Keep it from living underground

Jefferson snickered, "Wow. Hold on, lemme rewind." He grabbed my phone and pressed his thumb against the glass screen, sliding it towards the left, rewinding the song. The verse played once more until he did it once again. Growing curious, I turned my head and looked at him. Jefferson leaned back into the chair, my phone in his hand, as his foot tapped with the slow rhythm.

"We could wash the dirt off our hands now." He quoted as he picked up the needle, he hummed along with the song. I flinched when he flicked the tip of his needle with his fingernail, slightly taunting me. "Keep it from living."

Underground?

No, just living. Period.

He smirked as fear flashed through my eyes. He couldn't wait for the moment to finally kill me. I swear, he was going to get off when it happens. I gulped, trying to swallow the lump in my throat, but it wouldn't budge. He licked his lips as he enjoyed the fear and anxiety that built inside of me. He was probably getting off on it. I wanted to vomit at that though! Was this what Rachel saw? What she expected? A normal night before it became chaos? She trusted this man, just like I once did, only to be betrayed. Same thing with Nathan! He looked up to Jefferson as a father figure once. To see him so broken, to see what Jefferson can do to someone, is sickening.

The needle scraped against his skin, pricking his finger, but didn't inject any of the drugs. He licks the blood off his finger before reaching down, putting his blood onto my chapped lips. They turned a bright red as he painted them, enjoying how the new lipstick looked on me.

I vomited.


	14. Silent Screams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: It's about to get much darker. As some may or may not remember, I hinted that Max was raped by Nathan due to Jefferson's sick mind and manipulation. This will be no different. I probably won't go into very, very, very graphic detailing, but probably the start of it. If needed, I will happily change the rating. I just thought I'd post this little warning just in case. :)

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Silent Screams**

* * *

I sat in the same chair that I'd been in for God knows how long, staring at the cement flooring. Jefferson sat in front of me, flipping through all the images he took, smiling at a few. I avoided looking at him, my gaze heavily on the few cracks in the floor. I was hoping that I could somehow open the crack further and dig my way out of here. But, that was very unrealistic. Jefferson presses another button, flipping to the next image, and smirking.

"These photos came out so well, Max." I didn't respond. Instead, I kept my gaze away from him, glaring at the floor. Jefferson continued on, tapping his foot to the beat of the jazz song, as we both waited patiently for Nathan. "You know, three years ago, I never thought this would happen. Besides Rachel Amber, you were perfect for photo sessions. The way the sun hit your freckles, the serious tone in your eyes, and the innocence you had... it was almost perfect."

I tried my best to block out his words. My eyes traveled to the pile of vomit which was about an hour old. His dried blood still lingered on my lips, painting them lightly.

"You're so perfect, Max." He whispered. His tone was so different. Sure, whatever he said was creepy as hell, but it was more different. Before, he was calm yet excited about his passion. This time, he seemed seductive. I snapped my eyes back to him. He smirked as he turned off his camera, setting it next to him. "Almost too perfect."

He slowly raised to a standing position and I continued to glare up at him. He towered over me, enjoying the view that I was so little and helpless underneath him. His bare fingers touched the red marks of my neck before gripping my chin tightly, forcing me to look at him. His dark eyes were somehow darker. Something changed. For a split second, I hoped he would set me free, becoming a better man. But the fantasy died faster than it was thought of. He stroked his thumb against my jawline before forcing my lips against his.

My restrained arms struggled underneath him, trying to forcing him off of me. I shook in the chair, trying to set myself free, as he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I gasped as his teeth grazed my bottom lip. What the actual fuck! I felt his tongue in my mouth again and I took this as my opportunity. I quickly closed my mouth and bit into his tongue harder than I wanted. He screamed before pushing me back, holding his mouth. He wasn't bleeding, but at least it stunned him.

"You just don't listen, do you?!" He yelled in my direction, whimpering from the pain I had caused him. I smiled at my accomplishment, loving seeing him whine like a little bitch from something I did. So far, it was the other way around. Seeing the tables turned was so pleasing to watch, even if it wasn't anything major. "This calls for a punishment."

My smile? It was gone.

Jefferson slapped me hard against my cheek. He wore some ring on his right hand, which had cut into my cheek. I gasped as my cheek heated up and my vision became blurry. My head snapped towards my left and I let it linger before turning back to him. Jefferson was so fucking angry. His fists were clenched and I swore I saw a vein pop in his forehead. The man's breathing increased as he undid his belt.

Before I could process what was happening, the old leather had hit me in my face. The stinging became more intense and tears sprang into my eyes. Okay, this fucking hurt. But, I'm sure it wouldn't go further. Right?

Wrong.

He hit me again and again with the belt, hitting my neck and face, making sure to leave tons of bruises. I forced my tears back, refusing to become weak. I kept telling myself it would be over soon. That Nathan would come in and beg him to stop. But, that moment didn't come. At least, it didn't for a long while. Jefferson threw the belt down and grabbed me by my shoulders, shaking me violently.

"Have you learned yet?"

I didn't respond, afraid of either answer.

He took this as whatever he wanted. A smirk ran across his face as he saw the trails of blood and fresh bruises forming on my face. Using his tongue, he wiped the wounds clean. I shivered in disgust. Years ago, I thought Nathan was fucking sick. Well, he technically is. But more twisted and darker. I never imagined this, though. Especially from a once innocent teacher I previously adored. I whimpered as he pressed against my wounds, making them hurt worse than they did. His hand slid down my neck, his cold fingertips tracing the reddened marks. They went further down, tracing the freckles of my arms and chest, before they rested on my black tank-top.

"It's dangerous to dress this... nice." He whispered into my ear. I turned my head, refusing to look into his eyes, as his palm pressed against the fabric of my breast. I shook my head violently, telling him to stop, but he only took this as an invitation to go further. He palmed the fabric and began to snake his other hand around the straps of the shirt. There was no way he could take anything off without untying me. Well, he knew that. Instead of freeing me for a brief moment, he decided to rip the shirt off of me.

The fabric snapping and scraping across my back hurt like a bitch! I scrunched my nose up as I held back a silent scream. He began to kiss my neck and slip his hands underneath my bra, playing with my flesh. I squirmed underneath him, trying to break free of his grasp.

"Please, stop!" I begged. He chuckled against my throat, making it slowly vibrate.  
"God, I love hearing you beg." Jefferson met my lips again as his hand rolled up my inner thigh. I tried to move my knees, closing my legs shut, but was unable to. Jefferson knew exactly what he was doing and didn't care what the aftermath looked like. I gulped and closed my eyes, waiting for everything to stop.

"Hey!" A voice shouted. It made Jefferson and I jump in shock. It was Nathan. He eyed me and Jefferson, shifiting his gaze between us and the disturbing man. Nathan bit his lip, trying to find words, as he noticed me half undressed. "He's... uhh... in the back of the car."

Jefferson smiled, "That's my son!" Nathan cringed as Jefferson patted his back. The pair headed outside of the dark room, leaving me alone. I looked around the room, fully taking it in. How the hell did I manage to get myself back here? How did Nathan manage to fall into Jefferson's traps? I closed my eyes, refusing to let the tears spill. I heard a pair of chains jingling and a little whistled melody fill my ears. I opened them and waiting for the figure to stand before me. I figured it would've been Nathan or Jefferson.

Instead, it was Chloe.

"Chloe!" I shouted, "Get me out of here!"

She laughed, "Dude, trust me, I would. But I'm just part of your imagination. I can't do shit." The blue haired punk was right. She was basically useless in a situation like this. Chloe leaned against the frame of the arched wall, crossing her arms across her chest, and motioned towards me. "Nice rack. No wonder Warren has a thing for you." I glanced down at my exposed body and blushed.

"It wasn't my choice."

"No shit, Sherlock." Chloe rolled her eyes and strutted over, sitting in the chair before me. "What are you going to do?"

"I can't do anything." I wiggled my wrists, showing how I wasn't able to move them much.

"You'll finger something out, trust me." She wiggled her eyebrows and glanced over her shoulder. Coming down the stairs was a few scuffed footsteps. Jefferson whispered something to Nathan as their footsteps became slower and slower, scraping across the cement flooring. I saw the back of Nathan as he held onto an unconscious body's ankles. Jefferson followed, holding the figure's arms. As I took a closer look, tears sprung into my eyes.

It was Warren.

His brown wavy hair had fallen in front of his unconscious face. His head bobbed as Jefferson and Nathan carried him further into the room. The pair grunted as Warren was heavier than they expect. Nathan was a toothpick, so Jefferson was doing most of the work. They laid Warren down near me and tied his arms behind his back and ankles together with rope and duct tape.

"If he wakes up, you know what to do." Jefferson motioned towards the pile of drugs next to the lonely chair. Chloe had vanished once again. Jefferson pulls on an old coat and walks out of the darkroom, closing the heavy door behind him. Nathan returned back to his corner, bringing his knees up to his chin, and staring at his anxiety bitten nails. Honestly, I hated Warren being down here. But even while asleep, he was still goofy. The intense air seemed to calm down as Warren snored, his mouth slightly open, and drool coming from the corner of his mouth. Nathan glared over at him before turning towards me. I rolled my eyes and smiled at my sleeping boyfriend.

He had a big storm coming.


	15. I Admit

**Chapter Fifteen**

**I Admit**

* * *

 

Nathan paced back and forth in the dark room, holding his arms against his chest, breathing heavy. His eyes ran around the room, looking at various objects. He whispered to himself, too. I couldn't make much of the stuff out, but it was clearly a two sided conversation. He was talking to himself and someone else, but responded for them. Warren remained near me, still asleep from the drugs Nathan slipped into his system.

I unclenched my fists, trying to stretch my arms and fingers, but failed. Due to the duct tape placed around my arms, I had little room to extend my body and get comfortable. I leaned forward and cracked my back before slamming it against the chair.

"Hey, Nathan?" I called out. The panicking boy stopped, looking over his shoulder. He had one of his hands over his mouth, as if he was in shock, trying to meet my gaze. He locked his eyes with mine for a brief second until he looked away, his eyes shaking around the room. I cleared my throat and forced a smile, "I uh... have to use the bathroom."

"Okay?" He shrugged.

"Is there one down here?"

"No." He blankly replied. Well, shit. I rolled my eyes and turned my head to the side, lightly shaking it. Nathan noticed my disappointment and began pacing back and forth again, muttering words that I still couldn't make out. I picked my right thumb nail with my index finger, trying to occupy myself as I sat in this dungeon. I looked over at Warren, who was still in the same position as before, but more hair had fallen over his face.

"Please, let us go." I begged.

"No, no, no!" Nathan whimpered before turning towards me, "You don't get it! If I let you go, we all die!"

"Not if we contact the police first."

"Max," his voice turned serious, "Jefferson has this room under servaliance. He can see everything from his phone, a laptop, whateverthefuck he has! It's no use." Nathan stormed up to the chair in front of me and sat down, placing his elbows on his knees, as he stared at the ground. "I tried! I tried to save Rachel in the past and it ended up with her in a damn junkyard, she was dead!"

I bit my lip, fighting back tears, as he continued on.

"I try so hard to help people but... everything turns to shit! I'm worthless."

"Nathan, don't you dare say shit like that!" I snapped, staring into the strands of his blonde hair. The boy hangs his head further as a tear rolled down his cheek. "You wanted to help her. That's what matters the most. You tried, you cared for her. That's far more superior than whatever else that has happened."

"I killed Chloe."

A sharp knife went through my heart.

"I know." I nodded before repeating those simple words a few times. He nodded back and wiped his face, meeting my gaze. This time, he wasn't fidgeting or trying to escape my glance. He stared into my eyes as the blue pools in his eyes began to leak down his face. "You didn't mean to hurt her or anyone else. You told me this, yourself. Everything was a mistake, you weren't mentally stable."

"I'm not, still."

I nodded, "But you've gotten better. Of course, being back in this shit hasn't helped it. But at school, before I came here, I could tell you changed."

"Do you still think I'm a good guy?" His tears came down heavier as his words slipped out. My heart sank as he truly wanted to know. He pleaded, begging me for an answer. Yes, he killed Chloe. According to Jefferson, he overdosed Rachel. Were those actions bad? Fuck yeah they were. Did he mean to do it? No. With Rachel, he was probably following orders or not paying attention. Who knows, Jefferson could've done it and blamed Nathan. With Nathan being unstable and looking up to the older man, he could've taken the blame easily. With Chloe, he regretted it. I remembered his cries and screams, trying to wake the blue haired punk up. He rounded the corner and saw me, crying, realizing I had witnessed him murdering someone.

That's when David came in, noticed Chloe was dead, and almost broke Nathan's neck.

I shook my head at Nathan, tears of my own coming down. My hair flew around my head as my shakes became more intense, my lip quivered as I held back tears. But they spilled with his, refusing to be held back any further. They needed to come out. After years of pretending Chloe's death didn't affect me as much, trying to hold back any emotions with her, they needed to come out.

"Yes." I whispered as a lump in my throat formed. "Yes, you're a good person, Nathan."

"Really?"

I nodded, "You're sick." Nathan nodded and looked down at his trembling hands, tears falling thicker. "That's no excuse for what you did, but it explains you didn't have complete control in those moments. You've been abused and manipulated, too."

"It's so fucked up, Max." Nathan held his hands against his face, trying to stop the burning sensation in his eyes. "Everything is so fucked! I thought I could fix all of this but history is repeating itself! It's nothing but bullshit!"

"Life is nothing but bullshit."

Nathan chuckled, "Ain't that the truth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is shorter than normal. I'm trying to slow it down a little bit more. I've also been a tiny bit more invested in a couple other writing projects. I hope you'll understand. But, more intense things will happen. Probably in the next chapter or two. :)
> 
> Also, we just reached more words than the original. This includes all the chapters (including ones that were for shitty author notes). I wanna thank my fingers, for keeping up with my brain. Also, I want to thank my brain. Even though I come up with shitty writing, it still goes forward and gets the story/chapter done.


	16. For You, I'd Always Take The Bullet

**Chapter Sixteen**

**For You, I'd Always Take The Bullet**

* * *

The pain in my neck woke me up out of my slumber. I had fallen asleep and my neck decided to go down, resting in one position for several hours. Lifting my head, the muscles in my neck and my bones cracked, trying to straighten each other out. In front of me was Jefferson, folding his arms across his chest, glaring down at me. I jumped, startled at how close he was to me. Nathan was behind him, avoiding my gaze, trying to hide himself from the situation.

"Morning." Jefferson welcomed.

"Fuck you."

He snickered, "You haven't heard, have you?" The older man grabbed my chin, puckering my lips, and smirked at me. He pressed harder, my cheeks crushing against my teeth as his fingernails dug into my skin. I pulled my jaw out of his grip, turning my head towards Warrens body. Shit, was he dead? He's been knocked out for hours. Jefferson saw my eyes travel to the sleeping boy and smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot about him! Nathan, go wake him up."

Nathan nodded before walking across the room. The rich teenager went down on one knee, bending down to Warren's unconscious body, and slapping his cheek. Warrens brows knitted together briefly before they relaxed again. Nathan slapped him harder and shook his shoulder violently, not caring anymore. Warren's eyes fluttered open slowly before he registered Nathan's face.

"What... the fuck?" He muttered. His voice was raspy and low as he had just awoken. He tried to rub his eyes but noticed his arms were tied behind him. Becoming paranoid, he looked around and saw Jefferson and I. Mr. Jefferson raised his hand, giving Warren a gentle wave. My boyfriend's breathing became more rapid as he noticed my half naked body, growing confused and angry. "Yo! What the fuck?! Let me out of here!"

"No can do." Jefferson strutted over to the boy, placing one of his hands on his shoulders. Nathan followed his lead, lifting Warren up by his other arm. Warren struggled under their grip, stumbling as he couldn't move his feet, and was forced into the chair in front of me. "How much does Maxine Caulfield mean to you?"

"What's it to you?" Warren looked up at the man, who combed a few fingers through his beard before tying the bun on his head tighter.

"Would you do anything for her?" Warren looked at me, Nathan, and Jefferson before turning back to me. He whispered something but I wasn't able to pick it up. Jefferson noticed the silent whisper Warren made and slapped him against the head. Warren groaned in pain as he winced in pain, shutting his eyes. The drugs were still wearing off, so I'm sure his head was throbbing already. Jefferson yelled, "Answer the question!"

"Yes." Warren said with a shaky breath, clearly growing scared of the situation unfolding around him.

"Anything?" Jefferson teased, bending down and getting into Warren's face. His strong grip tightened on Warren's shoulder, digging his nails through the fabric of Warren's shirt. Warren winced in pain again, shrugging his shoulder in attempt to get Jefferson's grip off of him. Jefferson then grabbed Warrens jaw like he did with mine, but he forced the boy to stare me in the eyes. "Would you take your life for her?"

Warren's eyes widened as did mine. I looked at Nathan, who had the same expression on his face. Warren looked out of the corner of his eye, trying to look at Nathan too. Everyone was shocked to what was happening. This clearly wasn't part of any plan that Nathan proposed to Jefferson. Warren's eyes filled with tears of fear. He feared for not only his life, but for mine. I saw the Adams apple in his throat bob up and down as he choked back his tears, trying to show he wasn't afraid. But Jefferson saw right through it. He always does.

Jefferson smirked, enjoying Warren's fear that built inside of him. The boy locked eyes with me. I shook my head, telling him to stay silent. To do whatever he can to ignore Jefferson. Instead, Warren closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his face.

"Yes."

"Warren!" I shouted, leaning forward in the chair. The duct tape ripped against my skin but I didn't notice it. My heart pounded against my chest, scared to what was going to happen next. Jefferson smirked and turned his attention towards me, noticing how my messy hair had fallen in front of my face. He stood up, walking over to me, and tucked a strand behind my ear. I stared into Warren's eyes, dumbfounded to what he just said. Would he actually die for me? Would Jefferson kill him?

"How sweet! Two lovers admitting their deepest feelings for each other." Jefferson smiled as he pulled the rest of my hair back. I allowed him, not caring for what he'd do to me. "It's too bad that all story ends the same."

From the back of his pants, Jefferson pulled out a gun. Nathan noticed and began pacing back and forth nervously, his hands covering his mouth, as he began to panic. Warren sat in silence, not breaking his gaze off of me. Meanwhile, I freaked my shit. I rocked back and forth in the chair, trying to wiggle loose, as Jefferson aimed the gun at Warren.

"Please, please, please! Take me instead, please!" I begged, tears rolling down my cheeks, as I screamed for Jefferson to aim his gun at me. The older man looked over his shoulder, acknowledging my pleas. But, he didn't grant them. Instead, he walked behind Warren, aiming the gun at him still. I screamed on the top of my lungs, crying more and more, until I was coughing from lack of oxygen. There was no way I was going to let Warren die! Rachel died because of Jefferson and Nathan. Chloe died due to Nathan's troubled mind. There was no way another person was going to die under their hands! Especially with someone I love.

I screamed more and more, hoping Jefferson would get annoyed and stick the bullet through my brain instead. Instead, he smiled, enjoying the show I was putting on. Warren's tears had vanished as he took a deep breath, preparing for whatever was to come next. Nathan breathed heavier and heavier, gripping the side of his hair, his knuckles turning white from how hard he pulled.

"Now, let me ask you this." Jefferson bent down to Warren's ear, making his voice a whisper. "Would you bleed for her?"

"Yes."

No fucking hesitation. I stopped screaming, my chest heaved as I tried to calm down. Snot, sweat, and saliva dripped down my face. The hair that Jefferson had fixed was now in front of my face, sticking to my reddened skin. Nathan stood still, watching the scene unfold, matching my heavy breathing. Jefferson nodded and raised his eyebrows, impressed by Warren's bravery.

"Are you prepared to die for her?"

"Yes." Warren didn't hesitate again. He locked his eyes with mine. I shook my head at him, refusing to let him do this. But he ignored it, almost as if I wasn't in front of him. Jefferson stood up and pressed the gun into the back of Warren's head. This forced the boy's head down, his brown waves falling in front of his face, casting a shadow on his face.

"Any last words, Graham?"

Warren raised his head slightly, making eye contact with me again. My lip quivered as I broke his gaze, turning to the floor, shaking my head more. This can't be happening! Chloe said I would find a way out of here. Chloe said I'd figure something out. But here I am, about to watch my boyfriend die because of me! This isn't supposed to happen! None of this bullshit was supposed to happen! I sobbed harder, refusing to look Warren in his eyes. It hurt to see his face, to know what he was about to do.

To know that I'd never see him again.

Warren tried to meet my gaze. I noticed and decided to raise my head meeting his. He forced a weak smile, trying his best to make light of the situation. I forced one too, stiffing out a breathless laugh. I remembered all the times I denied him. All the times that I screamed and cried, using his arms for protection. How he tried to kiss me several times but I rejected, not knowing what he wanted. I remembered the drive-inn, us dancing in the rain, before our lips met. I remembered us sneaking off in the middle of the party. The light kisses, the wanderlust hands, and curious minds in that little office.

All the moments of him and I came flashing back, refusing to leave my head. I closed my eyes, a warm tear dripping down my cheek, before I opened them again. Our life together had flashed before my eyes. Warren shifted lightly as he smiled wider. Did he see it too? Warren's grin went wider as he giggled, his teeth cracking through. I smiled back, staring lovingly at him.

"Max, I love-"

A gunshot filled my ears.


	17. Frozen

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Frozen**

* * *

Time stood still.

Literally, time stood still. The bullet was halfway through Warren's skull, blood beginning to peek through his punctured skin. Jefferson had a slight smirk on his face, excited for the reaction that I would have. Nathan had his face covered in horror and shock, his blue eyes peeking through a few fingers, hoping it wasn't true. The entire room was fuzzy, going in and out of focus, as if we were all in a camera. I looked around, seeing that everything wasn't moving. This has happened before, with Kate before she almost took her own life.

It was the only time that I was able to do it. Maybe due to my high stress levels. Other times when I tried to freeze time, I wasn't able due to Jefferson's drugs. I promised myself I wouldn't go back or freeze time again, but I had to. I couldn't let Warren die. I couldn't let another person I love die. I glanced down at my right hand, seeing my finger tips tremble from adrenaline, holding its clenched position.

I tightened my grip, making sure time had surely stopped. My arms and legs were still tied to the chair, refusing to let me go. That was about to change. Without Jefferson threatening words or drugs, I can regain my strength and break free. What I would do next, I still had no clue.

I began to tug my left arm, wincing in pain as the duct tape pulled on my skin. I continued to pull up, down, and all directions, not caring about the pain anymore. With the amount of adrenaline I had, the pain slowly vanished. I pulled harder and harder until my arm broke free, springing into the air. I smiled at my achievement, happy with myself. Hell, yes! Super-Max strikes again! With my left hand, I pulled the tape off the right arm-chair, freeing my right wrist. I then leaned forward, undoing the large amounts of tape around my ankles. I stood up, groaning as my muscles and bones popped in the process. I was alive! I smiled wider, throwing my head back, enjoying the freedom.

Until reality sunk in.

I opened my eyes to still see Warren in the process of dying, Jefferson enjoying his torture, and Nathan wishing for everything to end. I still had to fix this shit. I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked over to my bag. There had to be something, right? I couldn't call anyone, nobody would pick up due to me freezing time. This only left me with one thing.

I had to jump through a photograph.

I opened my diary and flipped through the several pages. All the pages of Chloe sprung tears in my eyes. I'm so sorry, Chloe! I wish I could go that far back and help you. But... the storm. I can't kill everyone, just like I can't save everyone. I sighed and flipped to the most recent pages. Inside, I saw some of the Polaroids I took when Ms. Yui's class and I went to the main courtyard to take pictures. In the background of one, I saw Sean, Kate, and Nathan.

Bingo! I can go back and warn David and Nathan about Jefferson. All this shit could be avoided and Jefferson can rot further in hell.

Then again, who would believe me? David wouldn't believe anything I said. He'd think I'd be crazy and sick for mentioning Jefferson, a slight link to his step-daughters murderer. Nathan wouldn't believe me either. At this point, Jefferson wouldn't be contacting Nathan. Or if he was, Nathan was already too far into his trap. I held my head and groaned, a slight throbbing pain forming. I had to think of something quick! I can't pause time forever.

Fuck it! I have to at least try! I focused on the photo, the Polaroid slightly glowing and moving as I prepared to jump through it.

So, I did.

A white light flashed before my eyes, causing me to blink several times. I looked over the Polaroid camera to see exactly what I saw earlier. Nathan was against a tree, messing with his camera, not using it. Sean and Kate were around the picnic table as a bird flew over. Kate stopped their conversation and bent down, ready to take a photo of the bird.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw David near the huge fountain, glaring at Nathan. He was my last hope to stop this shit! I jogged over and he attention turned towards me, a slight smile spreading across his lips.

"Hey, Max!" He beamed, "You okay? Prescott's not giving you any trouble, is he?"

"No, not yet."

"Yet?" His bushy eyebrows moved up with his equally bushy mustache, growing curious by my chosen words. "What do you mean by 'yet?'"

I swallowed hard, a large jump forming in my throat. How would he believe me? He'd think I was crazy, turning into Nathan before he got the help he needed. I glanced over at the boy, taking a photo of the same bird Kate snapped a photo of. Nathan bent down on one knee, trying to be at the same level of the innocent animal, before taking a few photos. I'm sure the photos were much better than whatever he used to take. I remembered all the bondage posters he had and pictures of dead animals. All were taken in black and white and had creepy shadowing to them, making them a bit more disturbing.

Trust me, Nathan had a good eye. He knew exactly what he was doing. It's just that he took everything out through his photographs, which I think in the end, hurt him a bit more than he thought. He expressed himself to Jefferson, not holding back. Jefferson took that opportunity to use it against him by convincing him to take pictures of Kate and Rachel, which lead him to drug and photograph Chloe. Fuck! That photo he had of her on the floor, in a daze, curled into a ball made me want to vomit. Does David or Joyce know that? I closed my eyes and bit my lip.

"No." I shrugged, "Nothing has happened."

David's shoulders slumped downwards as he was relieved.

"Just keep an eye out, okay?" He asked before patting me on the shoulder, "You're still family to me, Max."

"Right back at you." I forced a smile before walking away. Sean was across the street, taking photographs of a few football players as Kate stood next to him, chatting about whatever they were talking about. But, they weren't my concern. The lonely boy sitting on the picnic bench was. I jogged over to him. Nathan raised his head from his camera, admiring whatever photos he had taken moments before.

"Max?"

"Nathan, you need to listen to me." I put my hands on the wooden table, leaning forward. Nathan glanced over at David Madsen before meeting my gaze, growing worried. He didn't want to get in trouble. In the past, he didn't care if he got in trouble or not. His dad could bail him out of any trouble, no questions asked. But, due to his dad completely disowning him, he was on his own. One wrong mistake and David would blow up, convincing Wells to send him somewhere else. "Jefferson is going to contact you."

"Max, please don't-"

"No! Shut the fuck up!" I shouted, causing a few people to glance over at us. I sat in front of him. His gaze went from my eyes to the buttons on his camera, fidgeting with them, not wanting to hear what I had to say. "You can't let him, okay? You're stronger than that. You and I both know that. You have to report him."

"He's locked up. He's not going to hurt me."

"Nathan, you need to trust me. He's on his way now, okay?" I placed my hands on his wrists. Nathan's eyes shot open, turning his head upwards, as he was shocked. Was this the first time someone had touched him in a caring matter in a while? How long, exactly? I stared deep within his blue eyes, trying my best to convince him. "He's going to drug me and you won't be able to help me. He's going to kill Warren. Next, he would probably kill the both of us."

"How do you know this?"

"Trust me." I shook my head, squeezing my eyes, and sighed. The images of the bullet going through Warren's skull haunted me. "I just need you to trust me, okay? I know it might be hard... especially all that's happened. I just need you to stay way from him, okay? Don't go to any parties, either."

"Why?"

"'Cause I fucking said so, okay?!" I shouted which caused him to flinch backwards, my words scarring him. My gripped tightened on his wrists. "If you don't, you're going to die. We're all going to die. Okay?"

Nathan's gaze broke from mine. He looked down at his camera, the photograph of a bird reflecting off his blue-sea orbs. Nathan looked back at David, who watched our entire conversation unfold from a distance. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed how Kate was laughing with Sean, enjoying whatever he said. I knew what he was thinking. He wasn't able to save Kate back then. Nathan wasn't able to help her get over whatever he and Jefferson did to her. He wasn't able to rescue or bring Rachel back, either. Hell, he couldn't even help Chloe. Without him knowing, he wasn't able to save me from my original timeline. His warning call was too late. By the time he had called me, I was already in the dark room while he was dead. Nathan clenched his fists underneath my palms before relaxing them, remembering his old habits. With a deep intake through his nose, he sighed through his mouth.

He nodded, "Okay."


	18. Take The Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry I hadn't updated in a while! Life has been a little bit busy. I had my wisdom teeth removed, writing my own original stuff, and having mental health issues. But, I promise I'll try and update more! Maybe not everyday/every other day like I was doing, but most likely once or twice a week. I hope this chapter makes up for everything. :)

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Take The Shot**

* * *

My eyes fluttered open as another bright light had consumed me. Time had flashed forwards to the present. It must've worked! Nathan must've avoided Jefferson's commands and maybe helped arrest him? I smiled to myself as my vision began to come back, looking around the room, expecting to be anywhere else but the dark room.

Except, I was faced with a different reality.

Something felt heavy in the palm of my hands. The foreign object made my arm drop to my side, not expecting the amount of weight. As I fluttered my lids some more, I began to process it was a gun.

"Good! But this time, try to actually shoot." A hand wrapped around my waist as another voice whispered in my ear. A shiver rolled down my spine as the person's breath tickled my neck, forming goose bumps on my arms. The same hand rested on my wrist before pulling it upwards, the gun following, aiming it ahead of me. I followed their movements and was met with the face of Warren. He had duct tape over his mouth, tied to the same chair I was in, screaming at me to stop. "Take the shot, Caulfield."

It was Jefferson.

My hand trembled as Warren's eyes widened, realizing his fate. I shook my head and dropped the gun. I wasn't going to kill anyone! I didn't want to kill anyone! I breathed heavy as I stepped out of Jefferson's grasp, refusing to take any orders from him. The older man's smile had dimmed into a scowl.

"I can't do it!" I shouted and began to pull at the strands of brown hair that clung onto my scalp.

"It's either you or him." Warren's fists tightened as he began to tear away from the tape, trying to rescue himself and I. I glanced behind me and shook my head. He risked his life for me. He would've died for me. All of this shit happened because of me. I squeezed my eyes closed as my anxiety began to rise, heart pounding against my chest. I picked the gun up and shoved it into Jefferson's hand. Warren struggled more as I nodded to the older man, meeting his cold gaze. He smirked before cocking the gun. "Oh Max, you were always my favorite subject."

"Then make me your victim." Without breaking his gaze, I knelt before him. I sat on the heels of my worn out shoes, stripping my jacket off. I slid it across the room next to the messenger bag that desperately called out for me, begging me to somehow change time. I pressed my forehead into the barrel of the gun, glaring up at him. He enjoyed this. He enjoyed being in control, no matter if it's by choice or force. With Rachel, Kate, and others, he had to force them. Drugging and posing them to follow his sick desired. In situations like this, he enjoyed being the alpha. He adored being the higher up, telling people what to do and seeing them fall at their feet.

In my case, that's literal.

"Any last words?" I tried to tune out Warren's desperate cries. He sat behind me, screaming and muffling to make us stop. We both ignored him, as if he was a child being neglected. Instead, the twisted man and I focused on each other. Jefferson smirked before stroking his long beard and shifting his weight on the left side of his body. Turning the gun slightly, he pressed it further into my skull.

"Just two." A slight smile formed on my face as I breathed, "Fuck you."

"Maybe in another reality." He shrugged before he clasped his other hand on his other, getting ready to strike.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, ready for what was to come. Heaven? Hell? Nothingness? I was ready. I was ready to see Chloe, William, and their little cat. Or at least, what I thought they looked like. I pictured myself running into Chloe's arms and wrapping her arms around me, tackling me to the ground... or sky. Wherever we'll be. William patting me on the back, as if he was my proud father, as Bongo swirled around my ankles. I was ready for this shit to be over with. If it meant dying for the person I love, to potentially save him, then so be it.

A shot rang through the dark room. I gasped, expecting it to be my last breath. Instead, I exhaled and inhaled once again. What the hell? I opened my eyes as my hands trembled lightly, filled with adrenaline and fear. Turning behind me, I saw Warren sitting still. He seemed fine except for his large eyes scanning over a specific area. Looking to my bottom left, which Warren's gaze was glued at, was a body.

A pool of blood began to form around Jefferson's corpse, creating a slight heart, as a bullet went through the back of his skull. His face began to become red, painted in his blood, as he sunk further into the floor. I fell back onto my bottom before scooting backwards, knocking into Warren's legs. He looked up at me as I looked down at him, wondering if this was real. It was confirmed as we saw Jefferson's shoulders relax, the gun slipping through his fingertips, and his last breath echoing throughout the room.

A little lone stream of his blood began to slide away from the pool, creating its own path. My eyes traveled as it went along its journey. It traveled past his old desk, behind the chair, and stopping under a wooden box that was filled with abandoned photography supplies. Near that box was a figure, holding a gun, aiming it at Jefferson's dead corpse. Their blue eyes were filled with anger before taken over with realization. Tears whelmed up in their eyes as they clung to their blonde wavy hair, panicking.

It was Nathan.


	19. The Night Will Be Over Soon

**Chapter Nineteen**

**The Night Will Be Over Soon**

* * *

Nathan had just shot Jefferson. The bullet went through the older man's skull, painting his light skin a shade of pink before a dark red. The three of us, that were alive, remained frozen, like the man who laid lifeless on the cement floor. Nathan gasped before dropping the gun, his hands trembling slightly as his eyes widened. Warren and I glanced up at him, in complete shock, as his once calm fingers ran through his hair. I ripped the tape off of Warren's mouth and untied him, not wanting him to suffer any longer. Nathan's chest heaved heavily as he ran over to Jefferson's lifeless corpse, shaking it lightly.

It was a complete repeat of Chloe's death.

"No, no, no! Shit!" Nathan yelled, "Not again!"

I rested my hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. He's not going to hurt anyone else."

"I didn't mean to kill him! I didn't mean to kill anyone!" My eyes shut tightly as Chloe's voice came echoing back through my mind. How she was shocked to see me, happy to see me having fun, and her pleading cries to let her die. I gripped the fabric of Nathan's sweater and looked away, trying to erase the painful memories from my mind. Instead, they continued and continued until it felt like I was right back in time, reliving everything.

"We have to go." Warren grabbed my wrist, pulling me away from Nathan and my memories. Nathan nodded violently, his lip trembling, as he followed us out of the darkroom. After a few minutes, I unlocked the huge volt door that lead into the bunker, opening the door for the two young men. They walked out first before Warren closed the door behind me. Nathan ran up the stairs and we followed him, the wind blowing in our faces. We went through the old barn and opened the large doors, seeing Nathan's red truck that he still owned. It was raining heavily. The air felt humid and thick, almost suffocating the three of us. I turned my head towards my left and saw a tornado.

The same fucking tornado.

My skin ran cold as the color drained from my face. I grabbed a hold of Warren's arm and dug my nails into his skin, trying to balance myself. Instead, I fell to my knees. The two boys cussed and their arms grabbed me, trying to pull me back up. Instead, my eyes spun backwards as the world wobbled beneath my feet, causing me to lose my balance. The lids of my eyes became heavier than before as they forced themselves to shut, forcing me to sleep.

Where was I? Where's Warren and Nathan? My eyelids fluttered open and I glanced around, noticing the white and blue tiles. Several mirrors filled the room along with a few porcelain sink and stalls. I was back in the bathroom at school. I groaned as a huge pain formed on the side of my head, as if someone had hit me or caused a headache. Suddenly, the door opened and a pair of shoes dragged across the tiled floor.

"You're running out of time, Max."

It was Chloe. The punk-rocker teenage girl leaned against one of the closed stalls, using it as a wall, as she folded her arms across her chest.

"What do you mean?" I asked, walking closer towards her.

"The tornado is coming again." She gestured towards a little window behind me. It was the same window that the blue butterfly had entered from. That fucking butterfly! Nothing came inside, except for rain water that splashed in every few minutes. "You have to tell the truth to him."

"What?" My brows knitted together in confusion, "What truth and to who?"

Chloe ignored my questions as she glanced out the tiny window again. Her painted fingertips raised to her necklace as she fiddled with the bullets, making them shimmer under the lighting in the room. The light from the metal bounced off and shined in her eyes, giving them a lively look.

"The night will be over, soon." She almost sang to me before ripping one of the bullets off her necklace. "It's up to you to decide if it'll end in fire or peace."

"How?" I shouted at her, "How the fuck am I supposed to fix any of this?! Everywhere I turn, I always fuck it up!"

She repeated herself; "The night will be over, soon. It's up to you to decide if it'll end in fire or peace."

"Why are you-"

"The night will be over, soon. It's up to you to decide if it'll end in fire or peace." Chloe repeated herself over and over again which caused tears to stream down my face. How could I save anyone? How could I be the one who took the lives of several innocent people? I screamed at Chloe to stop but she remained unfazed, continuing to repeat the phrase over and over again. The rain outside the window became heavier, causing more rain to pour inside until it was up to my ankles. I screamed harder as tears of anger and confusion rolled down my face. Chloe kept her gaze on the window.

Until, she sang;

_"Never mind the darkness,_

_Never mind the storm,_

_Never mind the blood red moon._

_The night will be over soon,_

_The night will be over soon."_

The rain got heavier, halfway up my leg as she remained silent again. My cries had dimmed down as I gazed at her, still confused as before. Chloe finally broke her gaze to meet mine. It was full of worry. She placed the fake metal bullet in her pocket before walking towards me, water splashing around us. The blue haired girl took a shaky breath and sighed.

"You have to fix this, Max."

"How?" In the leather jacket she was wearing, Chloe pulled out an old Polaroid photo. It was the one I took of the butterfly.

"You did two of the three options," Chloe swallowed hard, "it's time for the third."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:
> 
> Hello! Welcome to the new and rewritten version of "Love Is Strange". "Love Is Strange" was the first ever Warren x Max fanfic, it also happens to be the most reviewed for Max x Warren (along with my stories in general). I wanted to rewrite it because I took a trip down memory lane... I didn't like what I saw. I saw messy story lines, rushed events, and several plot holes. With writing a novel in real life, I've become more picky with what I write. I want to give out good content.
> 
> Speaking of my novel, I've been struggling with it. Just writers block and procrastination, the usual. But I'm hoping by doing this, I can get some motivation back. I won't update this story every single day like I did with the original. I might upload once a week or every other week. I have school, a dog, a novel, etc. I also want to edit more because I didn't with the original. At all. I wrote everything out that came to mind and published. I was about thirteen - fourteen when I wrote the original. Now that I'm eighteen (and hopefully a little bit better with writing and planning), I can give you guys a better version.
> 
> I'm changing a lot up this story line. In the original, it takes place right after Kate dies. Well, if you accidentally killed her. In this version, it will take place right after Max sacrifices Chloe, leading up to her funeral that she attends with Kate, Joyce, David, Warren, etc. Chloe's role in the original was tiny. I originally wanted her to be the pain antagonist, getting jealous of Warren and Max together. I wanted a huge love triangle. But whenever Jefferson was revealed that he was the main villain of the game, and how Nathan helped him, I changed everything in two seconds. Chloe didn't have many appearances after that.
> 
> Also, someone asked if I've played Before the Storm. I did! I was really good but I still prefer season one and two more. I actually live streamed me playing the series again. Find me at my youtube channel; The Losing Memory.
> 
> Anyways, I hope to add more little surprises along the way. I really hope you enjoy this version of "Life Is Strange; Rewritten"
> 
> Also! I've never written before on this site. So... take it a little easy if anything isn't properly labeled or formatted? Thanks!


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